just got the start wrong
by thewasabipea
Summary: The road back to their humanity is paved with good intentions and powerful magic. / Post season 3 divergence. Ensemble, Caroline-centric. This is a slow-build fic, with lots of character study and interaction. Contains Damon/Caroline, Stefan/Elena, and Bonnie/Jeremy, but romance is not the focus.
1. Goodbye Forever

**Disclaimer: **Don't own; don't sue. Story title comes from the Marianas Trench song "Haven't Had Enough". Photo credit is currently unknown. Please message me if you are the creator/know who it is.

**Summary: **Immediately following the events of Season 3. Caroline's got a grand plan to fix everyone's problems, but since when did plans ever work right in Mystic Falls? Ensemble, Caroline-centric. Features Damon/Caroline, Stefan/Elena, and mild Bonnie/Jeremy.

**Spoilers: **All aired episodes. Everything else is just speculation/AU.

**Author's Notes:** This is my first ever fanfiction, guys! So please be kind. Any constructive criticism is welcome.

This is a heavily character development based story and will be a very slow build. If you are looking for amazing action and plot as well as character development, please see authors like **Honeeym** and **starzee**. In fact, this story is heavily influenced by BOTH their works. :)

Thank you VERY much to **Fenmir **for the phenomenal beta work! (Re-uploaded 17 October 2012.)

* * *

CHAPTER 1: GOODBYE FOREVER

Bonnie tucked the ring into Caroline's palm, her watery eyes screaming emotion.

"Bonnie, you should be the one – I mean, Elena will – "

"No. I'm sorry, Caroline, but I, I can't. Not after…" Bonnie looked away and took a deep breath, steeling herself to finish her sentence. "Not after you. After Abby. And Alaric. And Jeremy. And Vicki, Jenna, John…. There's been too many deaths, and I… I can't deal with this right now."

"Bonnie…" Caroline reached out and gently ran her hand down Bonnie's arm. "You can do this. Look at us. Look how far we've come. You _hated_ me, Bon. And now, we're back to best friends. It'll be the same with Elena. I'm sure of it."

Bonnie looked up and Caroline couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her. There were tears running down her cheeks, but there was fierceness in her eyes, a look ofdetermination and fury that Caroline had never seen before.

"_No_, Caroline. I love you, but this is wrong. _Vampires_ are wrong. Look at Klaus! Look what he became after a thousand years! Nothing is meant to live that long! Even Damon and Stefan… Caroline, you're still you now, but what about in a hundred years? Or in five hundred? Who will you be then, Caroline?" Bonnie shook her head, tears flying off her face. "I'm sorry. Give Elena the ring. But I don't want any part of this anymore. Goodbye, Caroline." With a small smile that didn't reach her eyes, Bonnie turned away and walked towards her car. Her head was held high and there was no hesitation in her steps, but Caroline was stuck, frozen to the sidewalk.

She had known Bonnie would have a hard time with Elena turning; they all were. Caroline still hadn't had a proper sit down with Jeremy, she was too wrapped up in Tyler still being alive and trying to work through her feelings about Klaus's death. But this reaction was unexpected.

When she truly thought about it, she knew she shouldn't be that surprised. Bonnie had lost as much as Elena, and she didn't have two super strong, incredibly dedicated brothers fighting for her every breath. Instead, she was constantly forced to do spell work with minimal training, unable to take the time to grieve for the people she'd lost. Even if they were technically still walking around, Bonnie's mother, her teacher, and her friend were dead from Bonnie's point of view.

Caroline closed her fist around the sunlight ring Bonnie had given her. It was just like Bonnie to think ahead, to do as much as she could for Elena before saying goodbye forever. _'But it's not. It's _not_ goodbye forever,' _Caroline thought fiercely. She would fix this. Klaus was gone, they were all still alive, and they would not lose each other now. She squared her shoulders and headed towards her own vehicle. The first step to any plan is to gather allies.

* * *

She knew Matt was staying at the Gilbert house to keep Jeremy company, but she still felt guilty for not spending time with either boy. Elena was all Jeremy had left, and Matt was still reeling from nearly dying (not to mention the carefully buried guilt of causing Elena's death). But Elena had the Salvatore's taking care of her every need; Caroline knew that right now the humans needed her.

_'The humans,'_ she thought irritably. As if she was so very different from them. She hadn't been a vampire for more than a year, and yet she was already thinking so differently. After what had happened with Anna and Vicki, Caroline was concerned that Jeremy would be more determined than ever to turn. Although she'd come to terms with her own vampirism, she certainly wasn't comfortable with Jeremy making that change.

Too soon, she was in front of the Gilbert house. Matt's truck was there, which she counted as a victory. Not only would she not have to explain herself more than once, but Matt was level headed and would be able to help her rope Jeremy in.

Caroline heaved a great sigh before throwing herself out of her car. Because of Alaric's revelation, she and Tyler were still in grave danger from the Council. Fortunately the Forbes and the Lockwoods were founding families. It would take more than the claim of some newcomer history teacher to sway the entire Council into action. Meredith Fell was also on their side, and she would be very helpful inattempting to convince the Council that they were still human. Still, it meant she had to act fast to keep Bonnie from turning her back on them forever, before Caroline skipped town.

She could hear the pair of elevated heart beats, but that just confirmed the obvious: a video game marathon. She could just barely differentiate between Jeremy, Matt, and the television. She frowned as she thought that Tyler should be with them. She'd called him immediately after speaking with Bonnie and asked if he wanted to accompany her to the Gilbert house, but he'd refused. A bit too gruffly, in her opinion, but she knew he was just freaking out about the Council. His near brush with death hadn't helped.

She lifted her hand to knock, then hesitated. Matt and Jeremy sounded so happy, so carefree. It was as if they hadn't just lost someone else. Now, she was coming to tell them that Bonnie was done with all of them. It wasn't fair.

'_But what has been, lately? Time to suck it up, Forbes,'_ she thought to herself. With that, she knocked hard on the door to get the boys' attention.

As soon as she was finished with her short recap of the conversation with Bonnie, there was a moment of silence. She didn't have to wait long. Their reactions were pretty much just as she expected. Jeremy had snapped, attempted to storm upstairs, and then sulked on the couch when the combination of her strength and Matt's plaintive "Come _on_, man" stopped him in his tracks. Matt was upset, but looked like he wished he had done it first. He was close to making the exact same decision Bonnie had made. Caroline knew that unless they all figured something out, it would quickly turn into "humans vs. supernatural" and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Look, I know this sucks. I've been friends with Bonnie for just as long as the two of you. But I can't force her to be a part of a world that's done nothing but hurt her—hurt all of us," Caroline stated, trying to placate the both of them.

"Then what's the point?" Jeremy snapped, glaring at her.

She tried to quell her anger. Jeremy was still grieving, and him lashing out was better than him trying to off himself, either permanently or to become a vampire. She took a calming breath, but before she could speak, Matt interrupted her.

"She has a plan. Don't you, Care?" Matt asked curiously.

Caroline grinned. Matt had always been way more intelligent than people gave him credit for.

"Give the boy a prize! I do, indeed, have a plan," she replied.

She looked from one boy to the other, letting the anticipation build. She knew she was torturing them, but she was still a little grumpy at Jeremy for snapping at her.

"Well?" Jeremy finally ground out.

"Bonnie wants to get out of the supernatural world, right? So let's give her just that. But," she said, holding a hand up to stop Jeremy's protests, "let's _all_ get out of the supernatural world!" she finished excitedly.

Jeremy looked at her dully. Sensing a snarky remark was on the tip of his tongue, Matt quickly interjected,

"Uhh, sounds good, Care. How exactly do you propose we do that?"

"Magic, of course," she said smugly. "The boarding house has tons of books, many of which are grimoires. All we have to do is go through them to find a spell to change us all back to humans. Remember Esther's plan to kill her kids? She wanted to turn them all human. So the spell she wanted to use, or at least a similar one, should be easy to find," she grinned, feeling incredibly proud of herself. It was quite the plan, especially since it had been formed in the short ride from the Grill to the house.

"Yep, sounds real logical, Caroline," Jeremy sneered. "And how long do you think it's going to take for you to find this spell? And convincing Bonnie to do it? She seemed perfectly okay with just dropping all of us like yesterday's trash."

"Jer…" Caroline murmured. "It's not like that. Bonnie is hurting, just like the rest of us. She's trying to protect herself."

"I think it sounds like a good plan," Matt said encouragingly, looking worriedly between Jeremy and Caroline.

"But Jeremy does have a point. It's not like we can just Google through all those books. It could take weeks to go through all of them, and that's assuming that there's a spell that exists that does what we want. It's kind of a long shot."

Caroline's face fell. Okay, so maybe she hadn't thought this through entirely. That didn't mean that it was over. "Alright guys. I'm not going to deny that it does sound nearly impossible. But haven't we been specializing in impossible for the past year and a half? Vampires, ghosts, werewolves, freaking hybrids! I'm not going to give up on Bonnie, or let her give up on us. I'm just asking that you do the same."

Matt and Jeremy looked at each other. Finally, Jeremy sighed and threw up his hands. "Fine, Caroline, you win. We'll try to talk to Bonnie. And we'll be on the lookout for a spell or something. Okay?"

"Perfect," Caroline beamed. Step one, complete.

* * *

Before Caroline began the drive back to her own house, she sent a quick text to Tyler. 'Heading home. Wanna meet me? Got news! :)'. She didn't have to wait long for a reply. 'Yea. Btr b imprt." Caroline wrinkled her nose. She hated the stupid shortened slang Tyler used to text. It made his texts seem grumpier. She sighed and tried to not to overthink it too much. She had been ecstatic that he had survived what she'd thought was a death sentence. She shouldn't allow silly annoyances like a misspelled text let her forget that.

When Caroline pulled up to her house, Tyler was standing on her porch, leaning against her door. She didn't see his truck, so she assumed he ran there. _'Geez, from the Lockwood property? That's kind of unnecessary,'_ she thought. After Tyler had returned from breaking his sire bond, he seemed much more accepting of his new abilities. He wasn't quite the arrogant hybrid Klaus had been, but he was closer to "old Tyler" than he'd been in a long time. She wasn't sure how she felt about that just yet. There was a reason (or many) why she and "old Tyler" hadn't been very close.

She walked up to him with a big smile, but it began to fade when noticed how tense he looked. His arms were crossed across his chest, his eyebrows were furrowed, and his mouth was set in a thin line. He was staring her down with hard eyes and it was beginning to make her uncomfortable.

"Ty? Everything okay?" she asked.

"You smell like baby Gilbert," he muttered.

"Wow, what a welcome. Geez, Tyler, if I knew you were in this kind of mood I would have just let you stew. Now I'm glad you didn't come with me to see Jeremy and Matt," she retorted. She pushed past him and unlocked her front door. When he tried to follow her, she threw out her arm to block him. "On second thought, I think we can wait to have this conversation until you're in a better mood, alright?"

Tyler's eyes narrowed and she could have sworn she heard a snarl before his face cleared and softened. "I'm sorry, Care. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just all this stress about the Council. You know my mom; she's terrified of them killing me like they did my dad. She doesn't understand why I haven't left yet, and frankly, neither do I." Caroline opened her mouth to respond, but he held up his hand. "But that's no reason to take it out on you. I really am sorry. You said you had news for me?"

Caroline sighed and let him in. These little fights were getting more and more common, but she supposed it was to be expected when their lives were in constant danger.

Not wanting to provoke him into another argument, she quickly retold the story of Bonnie's decision and Jeremy and Matt's agreement to help. Although she was focusing more on her explanation than Tyler, she couldn't help but notice how he seemed to be reacting strangely. He had kept a straight face through the talk of Bonnie, even though she knew she still looked upset about it. Even weirder, when she repeated some of Jeremy's comments and mused aloud that she probably smelled like him because she'd practically had to tackle him and strong arm to get him to listen, his fists were clenched so hard she was surprised he hadn't broken his skin. He and Jeremy had a rocky history, sure, but they had gotten so much closer recently. When she finally finished, she blew out her breath in a big gust and looked at him expectantly.

"I don't know what you want me to say," he said dully.

Her eyebrows shot up. "You don't know what to say? How about, gee, great Caroline, thanks for working so hard to keep all your friends together? Or how about, is there anything I can do to help? Since, you know, you're supposed to be my supportive boyfriend!" she snapped.

"Caroline," he growled. "That's shit, and you know it. You shouldn't give a damn about all these humans! You should be focusing on saving yourself, about getting out of this dead end town before it ends you. This is your chance to see the world, and you're sitting here, making plans to do _research_!"

Caroline's mouth flopped open and closed for a moment. "Get out," she finally snarled. "Get out of my house right now, Tyler Lockwood. Don't you dare speak to me again until you've seriously reconsidered everything you just said. Those _humans_?! Those humans are my friends, my best friends. I've known them my whole life. I thought they meant the same to you."

"Caroline, I'm just trying – "

"GET OUT!"

Tyler clenched his jaw and looked away. Without making a sound, he walked out her front door, letting it slam heavily behind him.

Exhausted, Caroline fell back onto the couch. Tears were pricking her eyes, and despite her anger and hurt, confusion spread throughout her body. Why was Tyler being like this? Yes, he'd always had a temper, and he always thought she did stupid things for her friends. But he'd never yelled at her like that. Or spoke of their friends like that. Calling them humans? Where did that come from? She curled her body on the couch, pulling a cushion to her chest. It was times like these that she desperately needed Bonnie, or Elena, or hell, even Stefan. But they weren't there. They had more important things to focus on.

"Get it together, Forbes," she whispered to herself. "This is just the beginning."


	2. For the Best

**Disclaimer: **Don't own; don't sue. Story title comes from the Marianas Trench song "Haven't Had Enough". Photo credit is currently unknown. Please message me if you are the creator/know who it is.

**Summary: **Immediately following the events of Season 3. Caroline's got a grand plan to fix everyone's problems, but since when did plans ever work right in Mystic Falls? Ensemble, Caroline-centric. Features Damon/Caroline, Stefan/Elena, and mild Bonnie/Jeremy.

**Spoilers: **All aired episodes. Everything else is just speculation/AU.

**Author's Notes:** This is a heavily character development based story. If you are looking for amazing action and plot as well as character development, please see authors like **Honeeym** and **starzee**. In fact, this story is heavily influenced by BOTH their works. :)

I am hesitant to post chapters so close together, but I have been so astounded by the delightful response, I couldn't stop myself. **THANK YOU** for all your kind comments and favorites/following! I appreciate it more than I can say.

Thank you so much **Fenmir** for the phenomenal beta! (Re-uploaded 19 October 2012.)

* * *

CHAPTER 2: FOR THE BEST

Although she hadn't slept well at all, Caroline pulled herself out of bed as soon as the sun had peeked over the horizon. She was a firm believer in not wasting time, and she knew finding a spell to turn all the vampires into humans would only be one of many steps that needed to be taken. After a quick shower, she texted Stefan. 'Is it okay if I come by? I was hoping to see how Elena was doing.'

She wasn't sure if she should include Stefan in her plans just yet. She knew, or at least hoped, that he would agree with the whole human spell thing. If anything, a quick mention of Elena and he would be more than happy to do whatever it took. Still. She got the feeling that he was under more than enough stress at this point, with Elena adapting to her new life and Damon hovering, lovesick, over both their shoulders. Combined with the fact that no one had heard from an Original since the night at the bridge, Caroline sighed as she realized she would be doing this on her own.

'Of course. Elena would love to see you. Have you heard from Bonnie? She hasn't been answering Elena's or my calls.'

_Damn_, thought Caroline. She knew that Bonnie would come up at some point, especially since she would be delivering the sunlight ring. But she was hoping that they would be able to gloss over the whole situation for a little while more.

'Yeah, I have actually. I have a ring for Elena from her. Be there in ten,' she quickly texted. Hopefully she would be able to come up with a good story for Bonnie's absence on the drive over.

Caroline was beginning to think she should spend more time in her car. That was clearly where her best ideas came from. Feeling a little more confident that she could handle the Bonnie situation with Stefan and Elena, and that she would find what she was looking for, she exited her car and stalked towards the front door. Before she even reached it, the door swung open.

"Caroline?" a voice questioned from the inside.

Startled, Caroline stopped in her tracks. "Elena?" she said uncertainly.

"Caroline!" Elena's voice called out. "Come on in! I can't exactly hug you out there, can I?"

_This is weird_, Caroline thought and she made her way through the entry way. The door slammed shut once she was inside, and she was alarmed to notice that it was pitch dark inside the house. It took just a second for her eyes to adjust, but she was suddenly knocked to the ground as the entirety of Elena's tiny form collided with hers.

"Caroline! I've missed you! I know it's only been a few days, and everyone is trying to let me adapt, but it's only been Stefan and Damon, and I just miss everyone. It's so nice to see you!"

Caroline felt all her earlier confidence melt away. This was not the Elena she was expected. She had fully prepared herself to be surrounded by doom and gloom, all three occupants of the house bemoaning the loss of their collective humanity. This perky, friendly girl was far closer to the Elena before her parent's death. The Elena that would roll her eyes any time she was required to participate in "family time," the Elena that wanted to have a passionate love but settled for the boy next door, the Elena that used to make comments about the football players during cheer practice. It had been so long, and so many things had happened, that Caroline had forgotten how fun this Elena could be.

"It's great to see you too," Caroline smiled, as she and Elena clambered back up off the floor. "And you're going to be even happier to see me when you see what I've brought you." Caroline fished in her purse and pulled out the ring Bonnie had made. "Your very own sunlight ring. So now you can pull open all these curtains and…" Caroline looked around. "Is that a sheet over there?"

Elena nodded happily, squinting carefully at the ring. "Yeah, the boys were afraid that I would have an accident or something." Elena carefully slipped the ring on and spread out her fingers to see how it looked. "Wow," she whispered. Her demeanor was quickly shifting back to the Elena Caroline expected. Her eyes grew shuttered, and her smile slipped off her face.

"It finally feels real, doesn't it?" Caroline murmured.

Elena looked up her, a mildly surprised look on her face. "Yeah… you'd think when I first woke, or when I transitioned, or when I could hear things from miles away… you'd think that would make it feel real. But right now… I really feel different. Stefan told me about the magnified senses and emotions, but I kind of just went with it. Now, thinking that I can never take this off if I want to pretend to be normal… it's weird."

"A good kind of weird?" Caroline asked gently.

"To be honest, I'm not sure yet," Elena replied, looking back down to examine her ring.

Before Caroline could bumble through a comforting response, Stefan called out from the stairway. "Hey Caroline," he grinned down at the two of them.

_Has everyone in this house gone crazy?_ Caroline wondered. Every once in a while Stefan would break out the jokes, but he was in a better mood that she thought the situation called for. His epic love had _died_, in order to kill a crazy vampiric assassin that had almost killed his brother.

"Yep," Caroline chirped, trying to follow along with all the perkiness. "So let's get this place a little less "dark lair of the undead," okay?" With that, she began tugging open the heavy drapes. She could hear Stefan laughing softly behind her as he went to pull down the sheets covering all the other openings.

"Not that it's not wonderful to see you, Care, but why didn't Bonnie bring this by? Is she sick? I've been trying to get Stefan to go check up on her, but he refuses to leave my side," Elena said, jokingly glaring at the boy in question.

"Umm, no, Bonnie's not sick," Caroline answered, trying to keep her voice and face from giving anything away. "She's just…" Caroline sighed, wording her sentences in her head to make sure they came out correctly, "She's just really exhausted from everything that's happened. She said she just needs time to herself to recover," Caroline paused, mentally trying to figure out how to strengthen her argument. "And you know, we've only got two months left of school, she said she's got way too much homework to catch up on," Caroline finished. She was crossing her fingers that the explanation worked. The best lies were mostly truth, right? And besides, it would only hurt Elena if she knew Bonnie wanted nothing to do with her.

"Oh," Elena said softly. "I understand. Thank her for my ring, will you?" Suddenly, Elena's eye shot open, her hand flying to her mouth. "Ohmygod, school! I totally forgot about that! Oh god, what am I going to do?" she wailed as she threw herself onto the couch dramatically.

Caroline's own eyes widened at the show of theatrics from the normally quiet girl. "Uhh, don't worry about it Elena. I'll be sure to get your homework from your teachers, and if anything's too much or too hard, one of us can compel them. It's not a big deal."

"I'm not compelling my way to graduation, Caroline!" Elena said indignantly.

Caroline snorted. "You say that now. You haven't seen the essays that we've been assigned by Ms. Plec. I swear, she just loves to torture us. Which reminds me, Stefan, can I take a look through your library? Plec loves the real obscure stuff, so I'm hoping I can get some extra points by referencing something from back in the day," Caroline beamed at Stefan.

"Go for it Caroline," Stefan replied. "Want to take the ring out for a spin, Elena?" he grinned at Elena, who still had a morose look on her face after being reminded about her classes.

Elena perked up immediately. "Yes! It's going to be amazing to feel the sun again!" she walked quickly over to Stefan, grabbing his hand and dragging him out the door. "See you later, Care!" she shouted on her way out.

"Yeah, yeah," Caroline said in response, already on her way to the library. "That was unexpected," she muttered, making her way into the still dark room. As she pulled open the curtains and made her way to a random shelf, she contemplated the events that had just taken place. Elena perky? Stefan smiling? And where was Damon, snarking in the corner? The confusion after her transition could easily explain Elena's behavior. But what about Stefan? _Maybe all the handholding and lovey-dovey crap has something to do with that_, Caroline thought. Clearly Elena's choice post-transition was Stefan.

Secretly, Caroline was glad to see it. Although she didn't hate Damon with the same passion she'd had after her own transition, she just thought that Stefan was the better choice, especially after knowing Elena for nearly sixteen years. Yes, Damon was exciting and passionate, and if his pining after Katherine proved anything, it was that he would do whatever it took for those he loved. But if Caroline's plan failed, Elena would have an eternity to look forward to. And if anyone was able to sympathize and help her through the pain of living forever, it would be Stefan. It was only after his arrival that Elena began to work her way out of her depression and guilt of her parent's death. Elena had already been through so much pain, and Caroline knew that despite his love, Damon couldn't help but hurt the ones around him. It was practically a defense mechanism for him. Though she certainly couldn't judge someone for taking things too personally, constant fights and minimal apologies would wreck anything positive for the both of them. And besides, Damon didn't need another person to completely devote himself to. He needed someone to balance him out, to call him on his shit, and honestly, to stop hurting him at every other step. Caroline shook her hand, running her hand over the dusty books. She was spending way too much time thinking about her friend's romantic relationships and not nearly enough looking for the spell. Squaring her shoulders, she began pulling items off the shelves.

* * *

_Thunk. Thunk. Thunk thunk thunk. _Caroline's head made a dull sound against the table. It had been nearly four hours, and she had found nothing. First off all, there weren't as many grimoires that she expected. There were novels, historical accounts, even books about old Salvatore businesses. But very little on the magical world. And they weren't organized in any semblance of logic, as far as she could tell. It was way too early to give up, but she couldn't help but feel all her earlier enthusiasm vanish. If Esther truly had made up the spell, then it wouldn't have been recorded. The only people who knew would be Bonnie and Abby. Caroline sighed heavily. It would just be one more favor to ask Bonnie, and she was pretty sure Bonnie wasn't in a favor giving mood. Maybe she could get Matt or Jeremy to ask? Caroline's mind was a swirl of confusion, thoughts stumbling upon each other in a sea of molasses. She could raise funds with a snap of her fingers, put together dances in a heartbeat, and yet the most important plan of her life was not coming together at all the way she wanted it to.

She heard the front door open and close and her head shot up. Was Damon finally making an appearance? She did not want to deal with any of his attitude right now. She quickly stood up and began piling the books. Maybe she could duck out of there before –

"Caroline? You okay there?"

_Stefan_, she thought, and breathed out in relief. She placed the book in her hand back on the table and turned to see Stefan leaning against the doorframe, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah," she replied. "Couldn't find what I wanted, but I'm doing fine. How are you, Stefan?" she asked, concern coloring her voice. Apparent cheerfulness aside, she knew her old mentor couldn't be having as easy a time with Elena's transition as it seemed.

Stefan smiled, touched by her worry for him. "I know this must be strange for you, the way Elena and I have been acting." Caroline opened her mouth to protest, but Stefan spoke over her. "I saw the look on your face. I get it, I do. Only a few days ago we were running from Alaric, the Originals still a huge threat, and Damon and I were at each other's throats. It's a big change. After Elena woke up, we had a good talk. I didn't want to force her to transition if she didn't want to," Caroline gasped, the thought honestly never occurring to her, "especially since she'd never wanted to be a vampire. But she surprised me. She said that for the first time in a year and a half, she felt free. She had been hunted, and put her friends in danger, because she was alive. The children she had wanted would be in danger simply by having her blood run through their veins. Now that she wasn't alive any more, and that Klaus was out of the picture, all her fears of being hunted were gone. It wasn't that she was okay with being a vampire just yet. I mean, those first few hours…" Stefan looked down, clutching at the back of a nearby chair. "Her transition is one of the most intense I've seen. Her emotions fluctuate much more than I expected. In fact, I wasn't sure she was going to go through with it until she actually drank. Vampirism is never going to be something Elena wants, and she was ready to die at the bottom of the lake."

Caroline's eyes were beginning to water, and she could tell Stefan was having a hard time sharing his conversation with Elena. Taking a breath, Stefan continued.

"But she said she could learn to be okay with it." Stefan said, the furrows in his brow smoothing out. "She said she could learn to be okay with it, as long as I was by her side. She said that while she was under water, feeling that it was the end, the only person she wanted was me."

Caroline smiled at Stefan. She was more than a little surprised that he had admitted all of that to her, but she was happy for him. And Elena.

"Oh Stefan," she breathed, reaching out to hug him. "I'm so glad."

Stefan held her tight and whispered in her ear, "Me too, Caroline. I know things will be hard, and we have a lot more work to do, but I finally feel like I get to be happy."

Caroline beamed at him. Finally, someone was getting their happily ever after. And she honestly couldn't think of anyone more deserving than Stefan and Elena. Everything would be smooth sailing for them, except… "I hate to be Debbie Downer, Stefan, but what about…?"

"Damon?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah. I mean, he can't be happy with Elena's decision. Where is Damon, anyway? I haven't seen him at all."

"He's actually with Elena right now. He's helping her get used to her heightened senses."

Caroline's eyebrow rose. "And you're okay with that?"

Stefan's smile never left his face. "You know, I really am. We had made a promise to each other to leave town if Elena chose the other. And he was going to do it. As soon as Elena had transitioned, he was ready to leave. But that's not what either of us wanted. I really thought he was going to go, no matter what I told him, but then Elena had a talk with him. I have no idea what they talked about, but he agreed to stay. At least for now," Stefan paused, staring at his own sunlight ring. Caroline was reminded of how Elena had done the same just a few hours ago. "I know that he still loves her. He may always love her. But whereas Katherine tore our relationship apart, I really think that Elena helped repair it. He came to Mystic Falls hoping to make me as miserable as possible. Now, he's helping me guide Elena through this. I think I've finally got my brother back."

Caroline sighed, but tried to quickly cover it up with a smile. She was glad that everything seemed to be working out, but she couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. Damon was sneaky, and if he truly wanted Elena more than anything, he wouldn't stop pursuing her. And Elena was such a bleeding heart that it wouldn't take long for her to start doubting her love for Stefan once more.

"But enough about me. What were you looking for? Is there anything I can do to help? Something tells me this is a bit more extracurricular than you first let on," Stefan said, a knowing smile on his face.

Caroline laughed. "Should have known better than to try and pull one over you, Stef. I'm actually looking for the spell that Esther tried to use. You know, to turn the Originals back into humans? Just in case they ever came back," she said flippantly. _Please, please believe me_, she thought to herself. If Stefan figured things out now, he would definitely tell Elena and Damon, who would then figure out why Bonnie was avoiding them, and then all their happiness would vanish like smoke. Caroline couldn't have that.

Stefan's face clouded over as he thought about what Caroline was asking. "I don't know anything about that, really. I know Esther needed both Bonnie and Abby to channel their bloodline, but that's it. Why would you be looking into that? Has an Original contacted you?" Stefan looked directly into her eyes and it took everything in Caroline to stop her from confessing the events of the past week.

"No, they haven't. And no reason, really. I just always feel like we're never prepared for all the drama that happens, you know? And yet Klaus and Katherine and Esther always have things planned ten steps in advance. So it wouldn't hurt to get in some extra preparation while we can." Caroline smiled widely, hoping against hope that Stefan would just let it go.

Stefan didn't say anything for a few seconds, before smiling once more. "Don't worry about it, Caroline. You should be relaxing, enjoying your freedom. Which reminds me, where's Tyler? I'm kind of shocked you managed to drag yourself away from him," he teased.

She laughed a little nervously. "Oh yeah, Tyler…" she trailed off.

"Caroline?" Stefan asked with concern, eyebrows furrowing. "Is everything okay with Tyler?"

"Not really," Caroline replied with a weak smile. "We've just been fighting a lot. With the Council potentially after us, he's been a little on edge. But I'm sure it'll pass in time."

Stefan stepped forward and pulled her into their second hug of the day. "You know I'm always here for you, right? And so is Elena. I know it seems like we're both distracted by each other, but just say the word, Caroline."

"I know Stefan. And I really appreciate that. But I think it's just one of those "down" periods, you know? Things will get better." Caroline felt hollow. Was she trying to convince Stefan, or herself?

"They will, Care. They will."

After breathing in the scent that was purely Stefan and swallowing the tears that were attempting to surface, Caroline stepped back. "Thanks for the pep talk, Stefan. I think I'm going to head home. I woke up way early, and I think I need a nap. Tell Elena 'bye' for me, 'kay?"

Stefan nodded, and Caroline collected her things. She wasn't that tired, but she desperately wanted out of the house. Everyone seemed so happy, and here she was, lying and plotting behind their backs. _It's for the best_, she told herself, walking towards her car. _They'll thank you for this_. Throwing her car in drive, she forced Stefan and Elena's smiling faces out of her mind. _It's for the best. It has to be._


	3. Just Like Disney

**Disclaimer: **Don't own; don't sue. Story title comes from the Marianas Trench song "Haven't Had Enough". Photo credit is currently unknown. Please message me if you are the creator/know who it is.

**Summary: **Immediately following the events of Season 3. Caroline's got a grand plan to fix everyone's problems, but since when did plans ever work right in Mystic Falls? Ensemble, Caroline-centric. Features Damon/Caroline, Stefan/Elena, and mild Bonnie/Jeremy.

**Spoilers: **All aired episodes. Everything else is just speculation/AU.

**Author's Notes: **Thank you so much for the wonderful response! The most common question is "where is Damon?!" and I totally get that. However, based on where we left off at Season 3, Damon and Caroline wouldn't just jump in bed together (or if they did, it wouldn't be emotionally healthy and conducive to a forever love, which is _totally _how I want them to be). So I'm going REALLY slowly to get their characters to the point where it works. And I want to incorporate as much of the rest of the cast as possible, because they are incredibly important to both Caroline and Damon, and to this universe as a whole. Lastly, as this is my first serious piece of work for TVD, I want to do my best in getting into the characters' heads, which is why there is so much thought-process going on. Please let me know if you do feel as it's excessive! I'm running without a beta, so things might be a bit messy (unless someone wants to apply for the job!).

THANK YOU again for all your lovely reviews, favorites, and follows. :)

* * *

CHAPTER 3: JUST LIKE DISNEY

After her less than successful trip to the boarding house, Caroline thought that it wouldn't be remiss if she took a few days off from working on The Plan. She hadn't been lying when she had complained to Elena about their schoolwork. Despite the dumb blonde cheerleader persona she liked to put on, Caroline did very well in school, and the current craziness had really pulled down her GPA. She threw herself back into academics, taking time to bring her mom lunch (and sometimes dinner), half to help convince the Council that she was human and safe, and half to make sure her mom actually ate, texted Bonnie and Elena (although only Elena ever responded), and even played a video game or two with Matt and Jeremy. After their rocky start, she and Jeremy were getting along a lot better, and she was pleasantly surprised that their humor often lined up perfectly. She could easily see why Bonnie had fallen for him (not that she was even thinking along those lines, no sir). Life truly was looking up. _Besides Tyler_, a traitorous voice inside her whispered. They continued to fight, usually about the same topic: leaving town. But it also seemed as if every time they were together, they found something annoying about each other. He would say something rude about his mom, she would defend her. She would visit Matt at work, and he claimed that she was still in love with him. He refused to return to school, and she was concerned about her flagging GPA. They couldn't even agree on what movie to watch or what house to stay at. Caroline felt tears collecting in her eyes and blinked furiously to get rid of them. Despite being home alone, she hated to cry over Tyler yet again. _Just give it time,_ she thought angrily at herself. _Once we leave, it'll get better. Or hell, if this spell really works, we won't have to leave._ She took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Suddenly, she was distracted by the sound of a key turning in the lock of the front door.

"Mom?" she called downstairs.

"Hey, Care," she heard her mom's voice faintly. Liz always sounded exhausted lately. If it wasn't Sheriff business, it was Council business. Alaric's body had been transported to Mystic Falls, and the Council had seen for themselves that he was a dead vampire now. But that only prompted more questions. How long had he been a vampire? Was a vampire teaching their children? Would they have to put vervain in the water supply for the town? Did they have enough for that to be viable? Not to mention that Liz and Carol's integrity had been called into question by the dead vampire just hours before his death. As far as Caroline knew, no one had out and accused either woman of killing Alaric to protect their children, but the suspicion was certainly there.

Caroline dashed down the stairs to greet her mother. "I didn't expect you home until after dinner. I was actually just thinking of what to make you for lunch. Any preferences?" Caroline tried to be as positive as possible, lacing all their interactions with gratitude for all the work her mother was doing to keep her safe.

Liz smiled weakly. "Anything's fine, Care. I took the rest of the day off. My deputies can handle it."

"So I've got you for the whole day? Wow, that definitely requires something special." Caroline turned to the kitchen cabinets, opening and closing each one. She sighed, "Unfortunately I totally forgot to go grocery shopping. How about I pick some stuff up from the Grill?"

"Sounds good. Do you need me to come with you?"

"Nah, I'll be fine. Be right back!" Caroline grabbed her purse and made her way out of the house. It was hard to not be worried for her mother. She had never taken a day off in her life, even when Caroline was in a play or had a teacher conference. Caroline knew that the Council had been pushing for both Liz and Carol to step down from their positions, but both the Deputy Mayor and Liz's second-in-command refused. They were on the Council as well, and didn't agree with such a radical change in power if there really was a vampire and werewolf threat to be taken care of.

The Grill was packed when she got there, but she managed to wave Matt down and beg for her food. Puppy dog eyes and just a little bit of a whine, and Matt was off like a shot to help her out. She smiled fondly at his retreating back. Though their break up hadn't been amicable, it had ended up being for the best. Matt deserved the most "normal" life possible, and that wasn't with her. He would always have a special place in her heart, but only as a friend. _A best friend_, she amended to herself. Barely ten minutes later, Matt came back out with her food, dodging people and avoiding their glares. She gave him a tight hug and whispered thanks in his ear, refusing to listen to the "what could have been's" echoing around her head.

As she walked up her front porch, she thought she heard a strange sound coming from inside. Instantly on high alert, she cursed the amount of vampires that had access to her home. Stefan and Damon were still taking care of Elena, and would have contacted her if they were stopping by. So would Tyler. Which left Klaus and Katherine, neither of which seemed logical. _Or my imagination is getting the best of me, and it's a really dumb human_, Caroline thought ruefully.

As quietly as she could, she opened her door and made her way into the living room. Despite her mind coming up with more and more ridiculous situations, nothing could have prepared her for what she saw.

Liz was hunched over herself on the couch, crying brokenly into a tissue that had seen better days. Her back was to Caroline, but she could see every tremor, hear every gasping breath. Caroline placed the food on the table and slowly made her way to her mother, trying not to startle her.

"Mom?" she whispered.

Liz looked up at her daughter in surprise. Her eyes were rimmed red, still overflowing with tears.

"Oh Caroline. I'm so sorry. I didn't hear you come in," Liz immediately began swiping at her wet cheeks, reaching for a new tissue.

"Oh _Mom_," Caroline murmured, falling onto the couch to hug her mother to her. Liz continued to snuffle into her daughter's shoulder for a few more minutes, before finally pushing away and giving Caroline as big a smile as she could muster.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Caroline asked gently.

Liz sighed. "Just more of the same. Council problems, town problems, rinse, repeat. Also, the Department of Land and Natural Resources wants to send us a special ranger to help us figure out all these "animal" attacks. It's very hard to diplomatically tell a government organization that we don't want help, but we really can't afford any one else snooping around here. And I'm really concerned for Carol. Has Tyler said anything about her?"

Caroline looked away. "Tyler and I haven't really been talking. But I know whenever he brings up his mom, it's to complain."

Liz looked at Caroline carefully. "We'll discuss that Tyler comment later. That's what I was afraid of. Every time I speak to Carol, it's almost as if she's afraid of Tyler, but she won't say why. But I get the feeling that she wants him out of town for more reasons than the Council."

Caroline tried to process that information. She could tell that Tyler's relationship with his mom was strained, but she never would have thought that Carol wanted to be rid of him. She opened her mouth to tell her mom just that, when her stomach growled loudly.

Liz's eyes widened before she began to giggle. "I can take a hint. What did you get us?"

Caroline got up to grab the food, bringing it back to the couch. "Grill food. So cheeseburgers, salads, and of course, curly fries."

"Excellent," Liz replied as she reached for her food. Despite her still splotchy face, Liz looked infinitely better than when she had first come home. Maybe a good cry was all she needed. They ate in companionable silence, the huge pile of food quickly disappearing.

Caroline was still slowly munching on her curly fries when her mother broke the spell. "So, Tyler?" she said carefully.

Caroline sighed out a gust of air. "It's not going so well, Mom. We're just not agreeing on anything. And he has such a one-track mind! All he wants to do is leave town, but I can't yet. He just refuses to see my reasons. And he keeps making all these comments about the "humans"; like they're not his friends! Or _were _his friends, at least."

Liz considered her daughter's words intently before responding. "Not to encourage you to leave, because you know that's the last thing I want, but what _are_ your reasons for staying in town? I know school is important to you, and I'm grateful for that, but is there something else? Is there a danger I should know about? How are Elena and Jeremy coping?"

"Jeremy and Elena are doing okay. Stefan and Damon are helping Elena, and she seems to be doing well. Matt is helping with Jeremy. School is important, yeah, but that's not exactly it," Caroline took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady. "It's actually Bonnie. She said she's done with the supernatural. She refuses to talk to any one, including Elena. And only Matt, Jeremy, and I know this. I had to lie to Elena so that she wouldn't be hurt. I'm trying to figure out a solution, but Matt and Jeremy don't really know how to help, and with Elena so emotional from transitioning, and Stefan and Damon only focusing on her, I feel like I don't really have any one to turn to. I'm trying, Mom, I'm trying so hard but I'm so scared that it's all going to fall apart!" With that one last sentence, Caroline burst into tears. Between sobs, she continued, "Then there's the Council and who knows what they're going to do, and the fact that Tyler is so different that I don't even know how to talk to him, and I haven't even really thought about how Alaric is gone, really gone!"

Liz opened her arms and pulled her weeping daughter to her. She hadn't even noticed that nobody had come to see Caroline since Alaric's announcement. She had been so wrapped up in trying to keep Carol sane, stopping the Council from hunting down her daughter, working with Meredith on how to fake Caroline's and Tyler's humanity, and balancing her Sheriff duties that she was rarely home. When she was, it was usually just to sleep or grab a change of clothes, and it was back to the office. She felt like she was failing her daughter all over again, just like when Bill had first left and Liz's only comfort was in her work.

"Oh sweetheart. I am so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?" Even to her own ears, Liz's words sounded hollow.

Caroline continued to sniffle as she rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "Thanks Mom, but there's not really much. I have an idea of using this spell, but I have to be able to find it first. And that's proving to be really difficult. Just being here is good enough," Caroline sighed.

Liz felt tears pricking her own eyes. If she had her way, she would have packed up Caroline and taken her somewhere far, far away, long before she was ever embroiled in this vampire and werewolf business. Instead, she had been too determined to live up to her father's legacy of Sheriff, to be just as important as her ancestors had been to the town. Now, her daughter was a vampire in danger of being hunted, losing nearly everyone she loved to some sort of supernatural threat. And all she wanted was her mother to be there for her.

"Would you like me to talk to Bonnie for you? You know, human to human?" Liz tried to joke.

Caroline laughed softly. "If I thought it would work, I'd say yes in a heartbeat. But you know Bonnie. Once her mind's made up, nothing can change it. Besides, I don't think she's wrong. Nothing that we've been through for the past year and a half has been fair, or okay, in any way. No one should have to experience what we've gone through."

Liz ran her hand over Caroline's hair. "That's true. I never would have wished this on you. But you know what? I'm still grateful for what I've been given after all this."

Caroline peered at her mother's face. "What are you talking about? Your daughter became the thing you've hunted all your life, your ex-husband died… and now you're super stressed every second of your life. What is there to be grateful for?"

Liz gave her a genuine smile. "You, of course. Before all of this happened, I felt like I was losing you, and I had no idea how to stop that. Even though I'm not happy you're a vampire, I'm happy that we have this. I'm happy that you feel you can turn to me. That we can trust each other now. No matter what, I'll always be grateful for that."

"Oh _Mom_," Caroline whispered. Her mother had never been good at expressing her emotions, and this meant more to Caroline than she could say. "I'm grateful for that too."

"You've grown into the most remarkable young woman, Caroline. Even now, putting yourself in danger to look out for your friends; they're lucky to have you. I know you don't want me interfering, but if there is anything you need, let me know, alright?"

"Of course, Mom." Caroline hugged her mother one more time before getting up to stretch. "What are your plans for the rest of today?"

Liz thought of the stack of medical reports Meredith had dropped off, the "animal" attack reports they were planning on sending to DLNR, and her comfortable bed before ignoring all of it and grinning up at her daughter. "How about a movie? I know a few good ones have to have come out since the last time we watched something together."

Caroline couldn't stop the surprise from showing on her face. "Sure. You haven't seen 'The Princess and the Frog' yet, have you?" When Liz shook her head, Caroline continued. "You'll love it. It's adorable. I'll go get it." Caroline fairly skipped up to her room while Liz began to clean up their lunch. Yes, she would always be grateful for times like these.


	4. Fool Me Once

**Disclaimer: **Don't own; don't sue. Story title comes from the Marianas Trench song "Haven't Had Enough". Photo credit is currently unknown. Please message me if you are the creator/know who it is.

**Summary: **Immediately following the events of Season 3. Caroline's got a grand plan to fix everyone's problems, but since when did plans ever work right in Mystic Falls? Ensemble, Caroline-centric. Features Damon/Caroline, Stefan/Elena, and mild Bonnie/Jeremy.

**Spoilers: **All aired episodes. Everything else is just speculation/AU.

**Author's Notes: **This chapter is a fair bit shorter than previous ones; it was a scene that didn't really fit being added to the previous one, and that I wanted to separate from the next scenes. Apologies! It has a tiny bit more action than previous chapters, so hopefully that kind of makes up for it. :)

As usual, THANK YOU to all the lovely reviews, favorites, and follows!

Thank you VERY much to **Fenmir** for the phenomenal beta work! (Re-uploaded 22 November 2012.)

* * *

CHAPTER 4: FOOL ME ONCE

After 'The Princess and the Frog', 'Tangled', and halfway through 'Brave', Liz was snoring gently into the couch, Caroline looking on fondly. She was debating finishing the movie or bringing her mom up to her bed. Just as she was thinking that if she didn't move Liz, she'd had an awful crick in her neck, her phone buzzed. 'Need to speak with you. Come to the Lockwood house. Please.' Caroline's eyebrows furrowed. Fully written out words? Grammatically correct English? _Just another way Tyler's been weird, I guess_. Sighing, she put her phone down and picked up her mother. She sped up to her mom's room, tucked her in, and grabbed a jacket. Hopefully this would be a fairly quick conversation; tomorrow was a school day and she still had an essay to finish.

It was a fairly nice night; clear with a thousand and one stars. Caroline smiled as she looked up, deciding to run to Tyler's. The cool air and beautiful scenery might help her to think.

* * *

The Lockwood mansion was suspiciously dark when Caroline arrived. Carol was a lot like herself, and would stay up late planning the latest shindig, or more recently, plot against the Council. She had a hard time believing Carol would already be in bed by 9PM. With everything that had been going on, she didn't think she could even guess what Tyler was up to in the evenings. She walked up to the front door slowly, debating whether to call Tyler and have him let her in rather than knocking on the imposing door. She placed her ear up to the wood to see if she could hear anything. A bit of gentle pressure was all that was needed, and the door swung slowly open. A shiver ran down her spine. _Talk about heebie jeebies,_ she thought grumpily. She was a vampire, for heaven's sake! Why was this freaking her out so badly? Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, she began to stomp (very quietly) up the stairs towards Tyler's room. Thankfully, the door was cracked and the light was on. _Probably just forgot to lock the door. Stop being a baby, Forbes._ She raised her hand to knock on Tyler's door before remembering that he was the one who had called her over to his creepy house in the middle of the night. She huffed angrily and pushed the door open.

"You've got to be kidding me," she couldn't help but mutter when she was able to see into the room. Tyler had never been particularly clean, but his room was a disaster. Clothes were thrown every which way, and she was fairly sure some had been torn in half. At the foot of his bed was a duffle that was still open. All she could see inside of it were clothes and a framed picture of her. Tyler himself was nowhere to be seen. She made her way through the mess, picking up clothes here and there and tossing them on his desk chair. It was painfully obvious that Tyler was preparing to leave, and soon. Caroline sighed. She really didn't want to fight about this yet again. Not only had there been no headway on the Bonnie situation, but Elena hadn't even interacted with her first human yet. Jeremy hadn't seen his sister in weeks, and she was getting a little worried about that living situation as well. Who knew what the boys were subsisting on? Were they even doing homework? Not to mention her mom's skyrocketing stress level. She had way too many people to take care of before she could leave. She began folding Tyler's clothes, avoiding the easy solution of calling him. Her back was to the door, so she didn't see Tyler approach, eyes dark with a predatory gleam.

"You shouldn't bother with that," he murmured.

Caroline yelped and dropped the shirt in her hand. "_Jesus_, Tyler! Warn a girl, would you?"

"Sorry," he said with a smirk.

Caroline ignored the weird way he was acting. This was so not the time to be flirting. "Where were you?" she interrogated.

Tyler shrugged, ignoring her attitude. "With my mom. Taking care of some last minute things."

"So that's it then?" she asked tightly. "You're really leaving. Running away with your tail tucked between your legs?" she scoffed. "I thought you were done with that."

Faster than she could process, Tyler sped over to her and slammed his arm across her throat, pinning her to the wall. His eyes flashed yellow (_gold with amber highlights_, her own voice haunted her) and he growled low in his throat. "This is _not_ running away, Caroline. This is self-preservation at its finest, and it's high time you learned that, love."

"Ty – tyler?" she choked out.

A devious smile curled his lips. "Not quite, love."

"_Klaus?_" she gasped.

Positively beaming, he dropped his arm and let her down. As she panted for breath, crouched on the floor, she looked Tyler, no _Klaus_, up and down. How could she have missed it? Yes, it was Tyler's body, but the mannerisms, the hair trigger anger, the condescension towards humans… that was Klaus, through and through. Revulsion spread through her. She had _kissed_ him!

"What have you done with Tyler? Where is he?" she growled at him.

"Oh he's in here, sweetheart. Crying out for you incessantly, I might add. As soon as I am returned to my own body, he'll have this one back. More or less," he shrugged.

"_More or less?!_ What are you talking about? How did you even get in his body?!" she shrieked.

"Quiet down now, love. We don't want to wake Carol. I'm not sure how much compulsion her poor mind can take. Been seeing phantoms all over the place lately," he grinned. "And you have your dearest little witch friend to thank for my current home. Really, did you not think it strange that your precious Tyler survived the death of his bloodline? Tch, tch, I'm ashamed of you, Caroline. I expected more of you. Although, you are the only person who has figured it out, so I suppose you deserve credit for that. Now come along. I hadn't planned on you discovering this out quite so soon, but we shall just have to make do." He gestured to the duffel bag and pulled her roughly up from the floor.

"'Come along'? You've got to be kidding me. If you've been in Tyler's body all this time, then you know I'm not leaving. I should have known better. Tyler never would have left his friends like this," she spat.

"On the contrary, dear," Klaus replied lightly. "He and I are in complete agreement on the subject. And before you protest, recall that he has done this before. Tyler clearly understands what it means to survive. If he wasn't so disappointing in other aspects, I would be almost proud to have him as my progeny."

Caroline felt as if her world was falling apart. She was torn between throwing up or pulling her hair out and screaming. How could this have happened? How could Bonnie have put Klaus in Tyler's body? And then run away from them without filling them in? _What the hell, Bonnie?_

Klaus had moved on to close up his duffel, tucking the picture in more securely. She didn't even want to think about the fact that he was taking that with him. "I'm not going with you, Klaus," she finally said dully.

"I could compel you," he said softly.

"You could," she acknowledged. "And no one would come after me, because they'd assume we ran away together. My mom would worry, but she would think it was just too hard for me to say goodbye. They would be sad, but they'd move on." A small smile appeared on Klaus's face, as if she was finally seeing reason. "But I'd hate you." With that, his face shuttered and clouded over. "I'd hate you forever. I never said this, because I thought everyone would see it as a betrayal. But when I thought you were dead, I was sad. I thought you had so much more to give the world, and that you'd never been given a chance to be loved. I thought that in another life, we could have been great friends. Maybe even best friends." Caroline locked her eyes with his, hard and cold. "But if you compel me, or force me to leave with you and abandon everyone who has ever cared for me, I will never forgive you. I will hate for the rest of our very long existence, and I will _not stop_ until you fully understand what that means. That is the choice I am giving you." With that, Caroline turned around and began making her way out of the house. She knew she should help Carol and attempt to undo Klaus's compulsion, or at least go immediately to the boarding house and warn Stefan and Damon about the hybrid. Instead, she began to run.

She ran and ran, unseeing of the world. The stars that seemed so beautiful before were now cold and unfeeling. They mocked her pain, her confusion, her sorrow. Finally she collapsed in exhaustion at the base of a large tree. The sobs that she had had no breath for burst through, and she became a heaving mess on the forest floor. She felt like a raw nerve, exposed to the whole wide world and vulnerable to everything. She cried and cried, refusing to move from her curled up position in the dirt. Logically, she knew she should get up and move. She should go home. She should do a million and one things, but all she wanted to do was disappear.


	5. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

**Disclaimer: **Don't own; don't sue. Story title comes from the Marianas Trench song "Haven't Had Enough". Photo credit is currently unknown. Please message me if you are the creator/know who it is.

**Summary: **Immediately following the events of Season 3. Caroline's got a grand plan to fix everyone's problems, but since when did plans ever work right in Mystic Falls? Ensemble, Caroline-centric. Features Damon/Caroline, Stefan/Elena, and mild Bonnie/Jeremy.

**Spoilers: **All aired episodes. Everything else is just speculation/AU.

**Author's Notes: **_Ohmygod. _I literally gasped out loud when I saw the stats after posting Chapter 4. I have to thank **Damon's Vampire Barbie** for suggesting to add Damon as the secondary character, because I really believe that that is the main reason so many more people found and read this fic!

THANK YOU all so very much for the reviews, favorites, and follows; I am so ridiculously happy!

CHAPTER 5: GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN

"Give it up, Elena, you're not going to school today."

"Please, Damon? Stefan? I've been so good! I can control my fangs, and I can walk at a human speed, and I'm not bothered by the smell of humans at all!"

"Elena, you haven't even been able to hunt a bunny properly yet. Yesterday, you ran into a tree at vampire speed. I don't even want to think about how your compulsion will turn out."

"Damon, stop being a jerk! I'm trying!"

"Aaaand your emotions aren't nearly under control. I haven't seen someone so bipolar since I was dating Blondie."

With that response, Elena crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. She stalked over to where Stefan was calmly reading on the couch and draped herself over him. Damon couldn't tell if she did it expressly to hurt him or just because she felt like it, but his heart twinged painfully nonetheless. _You agreed to this_, he reminded himself. _You could be halfway around the world, drinking Mai Tais or Parisians, but instead you're helping train your baby bro's best girl. _"Come on, Elena. You want to go back to school, you're going to have to learn way better control. Let's go hunting."

Elena hopped up eagerly, bouncing on over to him. He couldn't help but smile fondly at that. She was certainly different as a vampire, but it was a good change. It reminded him of the girl he had met so long ago, waiting for her parents and thinking of dumping her boring boyfriend. She was acting like the girl she should have grown up to be, not the one with the entire world on her shoulders.

"Small woodland creatures only, Damon," Stefan called out to remind them as they left the boarding house.

"Yeah, yeah, Disney characters only. Gotcha, Stef!" Damon yelled back.

The reference put a small frown on Elena's face, but it quickly vanished at the prospect of hunting. Sometimes her eagerness worried him, as images of Stefan as a ripper flashed across his mind, but he did his best to shove those in the back of his mind. No sense in worrying about something that may never happen.

They had been out for a good hour when Damon scented something strange. Elena had been grating on his last nerve, making too much damn noise for anything with a pulse to come near them. She enjoyed her vampire speed way too much and was constantly flitting from place to place, which is why she ended up running into so many trees. But despite the huge distraction she posed, the smell of salt and… was that _wolf?_ took priority. Since Virginia lacked regular wolves, it had to mean werewolves. The only werewolf Damon knew of was Tyler Lockwood, and since that douche hated his wolf form, he doubted it was him. If there was another werewolf in Mystic Falls, he needed to know, and he needed to know now.

"Elena," he called out sharply.

"Yep?" she chirped, popping up like a squirrel from behind a tree trunk.

"Go back to the boarding house."

"What? Talk about the shortest hunting lesson _ever_, Damon. We didn't even catch anything! I'm still hungry," she whined.

"Elena. Now. Go back to the boarding house. Stay inside. Do not come out until I call you."

"Damon," she whispered, looking scared. _Finally_, he thought irritated.

"It's fine. I just want to check something out. But you need to go back home. _Now_."

Elena nodded and raced off, in the direction of the boarding house, he was glad to see. He sent a quick text to Stefan telling him to keep Elena and himself inside until further notice. Stefan would worry about him, but Elena's safety was more important, as usual.

As quietly as he could, he began to follow the strange scent. Both the salt and the wolf scents were getting stronger, which means they had the same source. The only reason for the salt smell to be so strong was someone who had been crying, a lot. Which pointed to a wolf attack. But Damon couldn't even detect a hint of blood in the air, and it wasn't a full moon. Which meant a hybrid wolf. _Even better_, he thought angrily to himself. Were they ever going to be free of those damn hybrids? Wasn't Tyler Lockwood supposed to be hightailing it out of town, the Council hot on his heels? Could an old minion of Klaus' have come back? So involved in his thoughts, Damon sped right by a crumpled figure at the base of tree before he even realized it. Stumbling to a stop, he turned around and slowly walked back to the tree.

_You've got to be kidding me_, he thought, before pushing her hair out of her face.

"Blondie?"

* * *

Caroline had a pounding headache. She felt hungry, thirsty, and there were aches in the strangest places of her body. It was as if she had slept on the hard, cold… _ohhh_. Her memories came racing back. Going to Tyler's. Seeing him pack. Things got kind of blurry, as if she didn't really want to remember, but she knew that they had fought, loudly and angrily. Their "mutual" break up. Her speeding off into the woods. Crying. She thought she could hear, at the very back of her mind, a soft voice whispering, _"I'm sorry, love._" But that didn't make any sense either. She had probably dreamt it, sleeping in the forest the whole night. The whole night! School!

"Crap!" she muttered, throwing the blankets off her and jumping to the ground. Whoa. Wait. Blankets? She looked around, incredibly confused. She didn't recognize the room, or the view outside the windows, but she took a deep breath and instantly felt comfortable. She would recognize the slightly musty smell, with a faint undertone of blood and coffee, anywhere. _The boarding house_, she thought with a smile. But how did she get there?

"Rise and shine, Blondie! I thought I heard those delicate feet hit the floor."

"Damon? What's going on? How did I get here?" Caroline asked him. So far Damon seemed to be just as he'd always been, unaffected by the happy bug that had bitten Elena and Stefan. _No surprise there_, thought Caroline sadly. It seemed impossible for both brothers to be happy at the same time.

"Thanks to yours truly, of course," he replied, giving a gallant bow. At her look of confusion, he continued. "I was taking Elena hunting when I smelled something weird. Should have known it would be you."

"Jerk," she muttered, only a little fondly. "Uhh, thanks, I guess, for bringing me back here. I don't suppose you have any, er, blood to spare? It's been a while since I've eaten, and I don't really feel like stopping at the blood bank on my way home."

"Yeah, sure, come downstairs. Stefan and Elena are probably dying to interrogate, oh excuse me, politely inquire, as to why you thought sleeping under the stars was necessary. Oh, and you should probably shower before you go anywhere. You _reek_ of dog." With that, Damon sauntered down the hallway, completely ignoring her.

_Yep, completely normal Damon_, Caroline mused, running a hand through her hair and wincing when she felt dirt and twigs. _Food first, shower second_, she affirmed.

Damon wasn't completely off when he said Elena and Stefan wanted to interrogate her. Their enthusiasm seemed to build off each other's, and watching them talk was like watching a ping pong match. She had assumed Damon was going to sit with them, if only to hear what she had to say about her evening outdoors. But when she had made her way into the living room, warmed up mug of blood in hand, he was nowhere to be found. It was hard to talk about the events of the previous night, especially since so much of it seemed foggy. She cried a little again, but with Elena and Stefan both comforting her, it was hard to stay sad for long.

"So what's this I hear about taking Elena hunting? Does that mean she'll be back to school soon?" Caroline asked.

Stefan groaned as Elena grabbed her hands happily. "That's what I'm hoping. I really wanted to get back to school before spring break. You know, get all my stuff ready so I can spend the break working on it. Besides, I kind of wanted to spend the break at home, with Jeremy." Elena shot a quick smile at Stefan. "Not that I don't love living here, I do, but I miss my brother. I feel like I'm not being there for him, but I don't want to be around him until I'm absolutely sure I can control myself. I'm not putting him in danger."

"Makes sense," Caroline replied. "I've been trying to hang out with Jeremy and Matt a little more too, especially since Tyler and I haven't been getting along for a while now. He seems to be doing well, Elena. Matt's really helping out," she smiled encouragingly at Elena.

"I'm glad. So since you'd already be like three hours late to school, do you want to hang out here for the day? I miss girl time! Maybe we could go hunting! Or do our nails. I'm not sure which I want to do more right now." Elena wrinkled her nose.

"Sure, just let me call my mom. I'm actually surprised she hasn't called me in a panic already."

After Caroline returned from leaving a message on her mom's phone, she begged off more bonding time to take a shower. Elena promised to leave some clothes on the bed, and Caroline headed back upstairs to the room she had spent the night in. With the house so empty most of the time, she tended to forget that it had so many open rooms and bathrooms, often luxuriously furnished. When she came out of the shower, she found a larger guy's shirt along with a tiny pair of Elena's shorts. Caroline gave the shorts a once over before deciding there was no way she was going to wiggle into it, and figured she'd be fine in the shirt. Besides, it was only Stefan, Damon, and Elena. Stefan and Elena only had eyes for each other, and Damon hadn't shown himself since that morning.

"Where's Stefan?" Caroline asked when she was back downstairs. Elena had already set out two mugs of blood, a couple bags of chips and cookies, and all her nail polishes.

"Hunting," Elena replied distractedly. She was holding up different color nail polishes against the light, comparing them against each other. "You're so lucky you have fair skin, Care, you can do practically any color. If I choose a color that's too dark, I look emo. Or like Katherine. Neither of which is good. But the light-dark contrast just doesn't look… Care? You okay?" Elena had stopped her rambling when she realized that Caroline was standing in front of the armchair, just staring at her. Her eyes were watery, and she looked like she was about to faint. She jerked when Elena called her name, and swiped at her eyes.

"Sorry, Elena. Just got caught up in some memories, I guess. Remember how we used to do this at the beginning of every sleepover? And that one time at Bonnie's Grams' house where we knocked over the whole bottle of Luscious Lips all over her cream carpet?" Caroline asked, smiling at Elena.

"Oh god, yes. We all thought she was going to kill us, so we placed a couch cushion over it. And of course the polish got all over the cushion too." Elena was giggling at this point. "So we tried to dab at it with paper towels, and that just stuck to everything."

"And Bonnie was crying and freaking out and that finally woke up her Grams," Caroline continued. "And she made us stand outside on the porch while she cleaned it up? I never knew how she did it," Caroline mused. "That carpet was perfect after. Not a drop of red on it."

"Must have been magic," Elena said thoughtfully. "I love how our punishment was having to paint her Grams' nails after though. She was amazing," Elena finished wistfully.

Both girls sat in silence for a few seconds, in honor of the wonderful, passionate, if sometimes kooky person that Sheila Bennett had been.

"Okay, so what do you think: Stardust Pink, or Radical Rhinestones?"

"Oh Radical Rhinestones for sure, Elena. For _sure_."


	6. You've Got A Friend In Me

**Disclaimer: **Don't own; don't sue. Story title comes from the Marianas Trench song "Haven't Had Enough". Photo credit is currently unknown. Please message me if you are the creator/know who it is.

**Summary: **Immediately following the events of Season 3. Caroline's got a grand plan to fix everyone's problems, but since when did plans ever work right in Mystic Falls? Ensemble, Caroline-centric. Features Damon/Caroline, Stefan/Elena, and mild Bonnie/Jeremy.

**Spoilers: **All aired episodes. Everything else is just speculation/AU.

**Author's Notes: **It seems like a lot of people enjoyed Clumsy!Elena (namely her running into trees) from the last chapter. I will keep this in mind for the future! :) Thank you all for the wonderful feedback, it truly puts a huge smile on my face.

Thank you for your views, reviews, favorites, and follows!

Beware, there are a fair bit of swear words (f-bombs included) in this chapter. I am truly sorry if this offends you.

CHAPTER 6: YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME

For the first time since Alaric had been turned, Caroline felt truly happy. After they had done each other's nails (toes included), Elena and Caroline had reminisced about their childhoods. Caroline was careful to guide the conversation so that Elena wouldn't worry about Bonnie's absence, but it seemed almost unnecessary. Elena seemed to have taken her earlier explanation about Bonnie's exhaustion to heart. After snacking on junk food ("I can eat anything, Care. _Absolutely_ anything. No more crunches!") and some more blood, they had had an impromptu dance party. It was then that Stefan had walked in on them, eyes practically falling out of his face. Quickly thereafter, the couple's utter sweetness had prompted Caroline to head home. "Girl time" turned out to be exactly what she had needed. She felt refreshed, positive, and absolutely determined to make sure that the supernatural world would no longer be capable of ruining her relationships.

She decided to walk home through the woods, acknowledging that she wasn't exactly dressed appropriately for public view. Stefan had offered to drive her home, but she could tell that he didn't feel completely comfortable leaving Elena alone, especially now that she had a sunlight ring. It was easy to assure him that she'd be fine, despite her last foray into the woods.

She hadn't been walking for more than one hundred feet when she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. There was a prickle down her spine, and she couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched. Caroline thought of speeding away, but what if what was following her was supernatural as well? She didn't want to lead it back to the boarding house or a more populated area. Besides, she had finally had a (relatively) good night's sleep, eaten well, and felt that she could take on pretty much anything at this point. She veered into a more densely wooded area and pretended to be distracted by some wildflowers. Bending down to examine the flowers, she carefully tried to pinpoint the location of her stalker. The wind was blowing against her, so scent was out. But if she listened very carefully, she could hear it moving towards her. Caroline evaluated her options. Unless she headed back towards the boarding house, the wind would continue to expose her location. _If he doesn't stop moving, he's going to land right on top of me_, she worried. _Well, we'll just tackle that situation when it gets here_, she thought grimly. Carefully, she adjusted her crouched stance so that she could leap at a moment's notice. _I am NOT being kidnapped again!_ Just as she was sure the mysterious creature was about to appear before her, all indications of movement stopped. She could still hear the wind whistling through the trees and picking up dead leaves. But there were no cracking twigs, no muffled footsteps. Never known for her patience, Caroline made a snap decision and leapt towards the last position she assumed her would-be attacker was, hands outstretched and fangs bared.

She slammed into the stranger with all the force her vampire-enhanced cheerleader body could muster, easily tackling him to the ground. They rolled through the leaves a few times as she strained to hold on. She heard the man (for surely, whoever it was was male) utter multiple grunts and "oofs" before they finally tumbled to a stop. Then,

"_WHAT THE HELL, CAROLINE?!" _Damon bellowed. He glared from his position underneath her, dirt smudged against his face and dead leaves stuck to his hair.

"Err, whoops?" she grinned sheepishly at him.

"_WHOOPS?! Whoops_ after you tackle me to the dirty _dirt_ with no warning?! What the hell is wrong with you? God, maybe that night outside froze what remaining brain cells you have left!" Damon huffed, pushing her off and brushing the grime from his clothes. "This is what I get for doing so many damn good deeds. Help your brother, Damon. Be nicer, Damon. Make sure Caroline doesn't get killed, Damon," he ranted under his breath. "Well no more! No more Mr. Nice Damon!" he snapped.

Caroline stared at him in shock. Then, she started to giggle. Before long, her giggles turned into full blown hysterics. She couldn't help it! Here was Damon Salvatore, suave vampire extraordinaire, grumbling about a little dirt after being taken down by a baby vamp. It was too much for her already cheerful mind to handle.

"What's so funny, Blondie? Prince Charming and his princess finally get to you?" he muttered, clearly as uncomfortable with Stefan and Elena's blatant happiness as she was.

"N – no, it's just that, that I can't believe I got the jump on you! Talk about losing your edge. I mean, really, Damon. How old are – "

Caroline didn't get to finish her sentence. Suddenly, Damon's hand lashed out and pinned her to a tree by her throat. He wasn't putting any pressure on her, and her feet were still safely on the ground, but her mind instantly went the night before, when someone… someone had done the exact same thing. Her brain provided Tyler's face, but he was different. The eyes were different.

"Not edgy enough for you, am I?" he growled. He waited for a snarky comeback, but nothing came. Instead, Caroline looked like she couldn't even see him. Her eyes were far away, and he was horrified to see that they were filling with tears.

"Shit," he mumbled, immediately pulling her hand away from Caroline's throat. He really couldn't seem to do anything right lately.

"Blondie. Hey, Blondie. Caroline!" Damon finally shouted, trying to get her attention.

Caroline blinked repeatedly. Damon's voice had pierced the fog her mind had been shrouded in, and slowly the sounds of the forest filtered its way back in. She shook her head a few times more, as if to fully dissipate the remaining confusion. "Sorry, Damon. I don't know what came over me." She smiled self-deprecatingly at him and shrugged. "So what were you saying about making sure I don't get killed?" she asked, determined to avoid the topic of where her mind had gone.

Damon stared at her for a few seconds, but as he could never judge someone for not wanting to talk about their feelings, he let it go. "Stefan texted me. Said you were walking home and that I should keep an eye out for you. He didn't mention you were dressed like that," he purred, looking her up and down lasciviously. Caroline tugged down the hem of the shirt self-consciously before remembering that he was Damon, and she was Caroline, and she didn't care what he thought. At all.

"Don't be an ass, Damon," she huffed, turning on her heel and heading back towards her house. She tried to stop herself from listening to see if he was following her or not. She honestly wasn't sure which situation she wanted to happen. Damon was frustrating, cruel, and had treated her like shit before he ever knew her. But he had also saved her life multiple times, cared for Elena and Stefan more than he would ever admit, and had, somewhere along the way, actually become her friend. And Caroline hated when her friends were in pain, even if Damon's pain was caused by Elena and Stefan's happiness. So if harassing her for a little while distracted him from the renewed romance going on in his house, well, she'd just grin and bear it.

She couldn't help but smirk when she heard him sigh and stomp after her. Further proof of how Damon had really changed over the years. Most people credited Elena with that near insurmountable task, but Caroline knew that you couldn't change someone if they didn't want to, and if you didn't catch them at the right time in her life. No matter what he said, she knew that after Katherine's betrayal, Damon had wanted to change. He had wanted more than what he had spent his 150 years obsessing over. _Good for you, Damon_, she thought. _You really have become "Mr. Nice Damon"_.

* * *

Shortly after they arrived at her house, Damon sped off. Caroline had tried to engage him in conversation on the walk over, but to no avail. For a while she had just rambled out loud in the hopes of irritating him into conversation, but a few well-placed glares put a stop to that. Shaking her head in the direction that Damon had disappeared in, she entered her home. Today had been a great break, but last night just reinforced what she had been telling herself for over a week now. Their hope, their future, lay in their humanity. And she was determined to do whatever it took to get it back.

Caroline whipped out her cell phone and dialed a now very familiar number.

"Yeah?" Jeremy's voice came through, distracted. She could hear the sounds of gunfire and grunts through the phone.

Momentarily distracted, she asked, "Did you go to school today, Jer?" It was barely after two, which meant that he should have been in class. She had been planning on leaving a voicemail.

"Uhh, no, but you asking me tells me that you didn't go either. So no lecture. Ah, shit shit, fire you dumbass, fire!" Wincing, Caroline pulled the phone away from her ear.

"Jer! I need a favor. So can you pause your killing spree for like a minute, please?" she pleaded.

"Yeah, yeah, give me like five seconds. Fuck, cover my six, or get the hell out of my way!"

"_Language_, Jeremy!"

Jeremy let out a sigh, and the sound from the game immediately stopped. "'Kay, my team just pussied out, so I'm all yours. What's up, Care?"

"I'm going to ignore that comment and your bad language, Jeremy, because you know I can kick your ass both in real life and that game." Before he could protest, Caroline plowed on. "I need you to talk to Bonnie."

"Uhh. Why? We're not exactly on the best terms right now, Care. Why can't you talk to her?"

"Because, she won't take my calls or texts, and I'm pretty sure she'll be more receptive if it comes from you."

"Why can't Matt do it?"

Caroline paused. "Is there something going on with you, Jer? If you feel really uncomfortable, yeah, I can ask Matt. But I just thought that you would be the best person to do it."

Jeremy sighed again. "No, nothing's going on. I just… this past week has been really chill, you know? No vampires, no crazy plans, no one dying. I go to school, I play video games. I'm normal again. It's been nice."

Caroline didn't know what to say. Her heart broke for the poor boy. The last thing she wanted to do was drag him back into the pain and grief that they were surrounded by, but… "Don't you miss your sister, Jer?"

"I guess. I mean, it's not like she's dead, dead, right? She's got Damon and Stefan falling over themselves to make sure she's happy. She's my sister, and I love her, but… I don't mind spending some time away from her. Shit, that makes me sound like a dick. I'm a dick, aren't I?"

Caroline giggled softly. "No, Jer. You're not a dick. You're just a teenager. We all are. Which is why it's so important to talk to Bonnie."

"Yeah, yeah, I got the message. Okay, I'll talk to her. What do you want me to say?"

Caroline struggled to form the right words. "I couldn't find the spell. I talked to Stefan, and I'm pretty sure that Esther created it. Which means Bonnie has to make up the spell, or use what she remembers from when Esther tried to do it. And we need to find a relative of hers so that they can tap into her bloodline. I'm going to try and take care of getting the dead witches' help."

Jeremy snorted. "You've got to be kidding me, Care. That is a _lot_ to ask of someone who isn't even talking to you!"

"I know!" Caroline wailed. "Don't remind me! That is why I'm asking you to talk to her. If Matt tried, Bonnie would just slam the door in his face and he'd give up. He's too sweet to nag her until she at least thinks about it. I'm counting you to really put that "annoying younger brother" thing to use!"

"Gee, thanks, Care," Jeremy said sarcastically. "Have you forgotten that Bonnie and I dated? I'm pretty sure she doesn't see me as an annoying younger brother."

"Well, no, probably not, but you're creative. Be inventive!"

Jeremy laughed. "Alright. I'll try my best." With that, the sounds of a very violent video game started up again.

"Wait, Jer! When are you going to talk to her?" Caroline shouted into the phone.

"Uhh, I'll go when she gets home from school. There's no like prom committee or something like that, is there?"

"No, that doesn't start until after spring break. She'll probably be coming straight home. Thanks again, Jeremy!"

"Yeah, yeah. No! Your other left! Jesus, were you raised in a _barn?!_ Go left! LEFT!"

"Bye, Jer!" Caroline hit the off button quickly. _Whew_, she thought. If Bonnie agreed to try the spell, and contacted someone in her family tree who also happened to be a witch… If Damon, Stefan, and Elena all agreed to become human again… If the spirits of the witches even allowed Bonnie to try… There were so many if's! Although she had Matt, Jeremy, and her mom on her side, Caroline still felt alone. They were all looking to her to make the decisions and come up with the plans. What if she was making the wrong decisions? What if her plans were stupid? She couldn't ask Damon to tell her that whether he thought what she doing was moronic. Nor could she have Stefan and Elena comfort her and offer both wisdom and compassion. Her mom didn't know nearly enough about the supernatural to make heads or tails of what they were trying to do. _If only we still had Bonnie's Grams. She always had something to say. _How many "drunken ramblings" that they ignored were really valuable pieces of advice? Sheila would have been the perfect person to guide her through this. If only… No… it wasn't possible, was it? _But I'm not a witch_, Caroline tried to convince herself. Smile spreading across her face, she thought, _But there's no harm in trying. _She was going to have a séance.


	7. Just Have Faith

**Disclaimer: **Don't own; don't sue. Story title comes from the Marianas Trench song "Haven't Had Enough". Photo credit is currently unknown. Please message me if you are the creator/know who it is.

**Summary: **Immediately following the events of Season 3. Caroline's got a grand plan to fix everyone's problems, but since when did plans ever work right in Mystic Falls? Ensemble, Caroline-centric. Features Damon/Caroline, Stefan/Elena, and mild Bonnie/Jeremy.

**Spoilers: **All aired episodes. Everything else is just speculation/AU.

**Author's Notes: **Relatively short chapter, but I promise the next one is longer!

CHAPTER 7: JUST HAVE FAITH

Since she couldn't ask Bonnie how to contact the spirits of the dead, she turned to her next best source of information: the internet. Jeremy was talking to Bonnie today, which meant Caroline needed to be one hundred percent committed before Bonnie approached her with any questions. The internet, especially forums, gave her some pretty ridiculous information. She had to constantly remind herself to stay focused, instead of reading page after page of people's accounts of their supposed interactions with the dead. Finally, she felt ready to start. She gathered all the candles she could find, placing them in a circle around her. Since she wanted to call Sheila, she really should have something of hers. A blood relative's would be second best. Unfortunately, all she had were a few hairs from when Bonnie borrowed her hairbrush, and a small bottle of nail polish she had left after their most recent sleepover. The polish was bright red, which eerily reminded Caroline of the story she had just told with Elena. She hoped it was a good sign.

Closing her blinds and locking her door, she settled within the circle of lit candles. If she wasn't a little bit terrified, it would have been very peaceful. The light was soft, and the warmth reminded her of cuddling next to Matt or Tyler (pre-hybrid). Despite her earlier attitude, she desperately wanted this to work. Even if Sheila just had a sharp reprimand for her, it would help.

After a few deep breaths, Caroline gathered her courage. Trying to keep her hand steady, she held the strands of hair above a candle until they caught. Then, she dropped the burning hair onto a plate that she had dripped nail polish on. She wrinkled her nose at the awful smell the burning hair was exuding. Before she could blink, the small puddle of nail polish caught fire as well. _Nail polish is flammable, Forbes! God, could you be any more stupid? _She groaned out loud, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. If her stupid séance couldn't even go right, how was an intricate spell to make them human again supposed to work? "Sorry, Sheila," she whispered. "I really could have used your help right now." Caroline closed her eyes tight to stop the tears.

"I hope you're not crying over little old me, baby girl."

Caroline's eyes snapped open. "Sheila?"

"Right here, sweetheart." As Caroline stared into the darkness, the form of Bonnie's grandmother slowly walked into the pool of light. She looked just as Caroline remembered her. Strong, straight back, severe face softened by her smile, exuding grace and power with every step. How could she have ever thought this woman was crazy? "Now, what can I help you with?"

"Oh, _Sheila_," Caroline whispered. "It's good to see you."

"I would say the same to you, Caroline, but I've been keeping a keen eye on you and the girls. It is a fine mess you are all in, isn't it? You've seen so much, dear girl." Sheila reached her hand out, as if to touch Caroline's face, but stopped just short of entering the circle of candles.

"I know. That's why I'm trying to fix everything. I want to do, or I want Bonnie to do, a spell that will make all the vampires human again."

"_All_ the vampires? That's quite ambitious."

"No, no, I mean, just the Mystic Falls vampires. Me, Elena, Stefan, and Damon. I don't think it would be a good idea for all the vampires to suddenly become human."

"Smart girl. No, vampires as a species have their own place in the balance of nature. Sometimes one or two get a little too big for their britches, but they shouldn't be eradicated as whole. No, that is not the answer," Sheila murmured, almost to herself. "So, what do you need me for?"

"I'm worried Bonnie won't want to do the spell. She doesn't want anything to do with anyone supernatural. And even if she does, she's going to need help from a family member with powers. And then they'll need to count on the support of the spirits of the dead witches, who haven't been too happy with Bonnie lately. There's just so much hinging on everything going right, and I'm not sure if I can handle it all," Caroline's voice wavered and the tears were making a comeback.

"And I understand that you may have a time limit to this plan of yours, don't you?" Sheila prodded gently.

"A time limit?"

"I was under the impression our honorable Council suspects you of vampirism, don't they?"

"Oh. Yeah, that." Caroline studied her carpet. "If this doesn't work, I'll need to leave town. Probably for forever."

"Oh baby, you've really done it now. Well. My Bonnie is a stubborn one, you know that. But she does love you, and Elena, and I wouldn't be surprised if those Salvatores have wormed their way into her heart as well. She just gets caught up in her own head sometimes. I'll try my best with her, Caroline." Sheila said with a smile. "As for those old biddies… Another group of people who just don't know when to let go. It's been so long, all they care about is the balance, and not what it means to be a living person. I'll be sure to remind them of that. Now, for your third wish," Sheila paused. "Hm. Doesn't it sound like I'm a genie? Or some sort of fairy godmother? Now that is magic I could get behind." She winked at Caroline, pretending to wave around a magic wand. "For your third wish. There is already a delightful girl I have in mind, one of Bonnie's cousins. She's a powerful witch in her own right, and her experience should help Bonnie craft the spell."

"Thank you, Sheila," Caroline whispered. She cleared her throat and wiped away the tears that had leaked out. "This means the world to me. I'm sorry I didn't understand you before."

"Hush, child. I knew you'd come around eventually. Now, even fairy godmothers will give warnings. This spell, this idea of yours, does not come without risks. Bonnie has not crafted a spell before, and she may be asking for things that she does not want. The witches that will be helping Bonnie have their own motivations and desires. After all they have seen, they believe that they know what's best for the balance of nature. They will act accordingly. You do not know what you may be giving up when you agree to this, my darling girl, and I cannot tell you."

Caroline's eyes were as wide as saucers. After so much help, Sheila's dire words scared her. She didn't want to think of all the things that could go wrong that she had no control over. "I, I understand. Thank you," Caroline swallowed audibly.

"Now, anything else? I'd love to stay with you through all of this, but you know that's not how it works. And you've given me quite a bit of work to do," Sheila teased.

"Um, just one question." A faint blush tinged Caroline's cheeks. She shouldn't be bothering Sheila with her insecurities, but she needed to ask. This was practically the whole reason she had tried the séance. "I need to know. Am I doing the right thing?" Caroline fierce blue eyes locked with Sheila's gentle brown ones.

Without a moment's hesitation, Sheila answered. "Yes. Yes, Caroline, you are." With that, all the candles guttered out and Sheila vanished.

Yet another tear rolled down her face, but Caroline was smiling. That was exactly what she needed to hear.

* * *

Over a thousand miles away, just outside of the tiny town of Wagner, South Dakota, Lucy Graham's hand started to twitch in her sleep. It crept across the bed until it reached the night table, picked up a pen and began to scratch out a message on a loose sheet of paper. When the message was complete, the hand went lax, dropping the pen. Said pen then rolled off the table and clattered to the floor. Like a shot, Lucy sat up. Her eyes were wide open, and she held her hand spread out, ready to cast a spell at a moment's notice. Not seeing any intruders, magical or otherwise, Lucy looked around in confusion.

Her long brown hair was a tangled mess on her head, and she had fallen asleep in the clothes she'd been wearing for the past three days. She had just moved to Wagner, still looking for a place to be at peace. She was long done with the life that had led her to people like Katherine, and the people Katherine had saved her from. But she still hadn't found what she was looking for, a place to center herself and really discover her purpose. So she had taken to moving to random places across the States, helping where she could and moving on when she felt the need.

Most of her belongings were still in boxes, stacked precariously around the loft that she had rented. Despite the afternoon hour, casting all her usual defensive spells and putting her bed together had exhausted her. So what the hell had been powerful enough to wake her up? Grumpy and still tired, Lucy pulled herself out of bed and went around searching for some pajamas. Might as well go back to bed comfortable. Unable to see much shrouded in darkness, she reached for the lamp she had unceremoniously placed on the night table. When the light came on, she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her. Written in a graceful, sloping hand that looked nothing like her own crabbed writing, was a message on her night table.

_TIME TO GO HOME, BABY GIRL._

A wry smile crossed Lucy's lips. "Well, at least I don't have to pack again. Thanks for that, Aunty." Lucy smiled at the ceiling, flicked off the light, pulled off her jeans, and crawled back to bed. The long drive to Mystic Falls could wait.

Lucy had just fallen asleep when a thunderous crash echoed throughout the loft. Peeking out of one eye, she saw that her tallest pile of boxes had fallen over, scattering its contents all across the floor. Groaning, she pushed herself into a sitting position. "Got the message, Aunty. I'll get right on it. Promise." Although her windows were closed and magically protected, a faint breeze fluttered her hair and caressed her cheek. Lucy smiled again and whispered, "Miss you too, Aunty." A few seconds later, the only sounds that could be heard was Lucy's snores and the very, very quiet giggle of an old woman who loved to mess with her grandbabies.


	8. Like Family

**Disclaimer: **Don't own; don't sue. Story title comes from the Marianas Trench song "Haven't Had Enough". Photo credit is currently unknown. Please message me if you are the creator/know who it is.

**Summary: **Immediately following the events of Season 3. Caroline's got a grand plan to fix everyone's problems, but since when did plans ever work right in Mystic Falls? Ensemble, Caroline-centric. Features Damon/Caroline, Stefan/Elena, and mild Bonnie/Jeremy.

**Spoilers: **All aired episodes. Everything else is just speculation/AU.

**Author's Notes: **This was actually the first chapter I ever wrote when I began this story. It has since been edited to better flow with the previous chapters, but if you notice some glaring errors, please let me know!

Thank you **starzee** for letting me know that Seasons 1 - 3 covered only a year and a half, not three years. If any one notices any other continuity/canonical errors, please let me know!

Thank you **peachx89** for being my 50th reviewer! As a special gift, I am offering you the chance to request something to be incorporated into the story! Something small, as the bulk of the story is already outlined, but an object, a name, a song, etc. is fine. If you don't want to request anything, that's okay! Or if you would prefer a drabble/one-shot, that works too. :) I've hit a bit of a writer's block, and any source of inspiration is welcome. (Honestly, ANYBODY'S requests are welcome, but only **peachx89**'s is guaranteed to be written.) This idea is shamelessly stolen from the**Lady Shaye**, whose remarkable works you need to go read right now.

This chapter is EXTRA long to make up for the fact that the last chapter was a wee bit short, and that there is no Damon. :( But he will return in the next chapter! This is very much an ensemble fic, and though Damon/Caroline is my OTP, I want to make sure everyone gets their chance to shine. :)

As usual, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for all the views, reviews, favorites, and follows!

CHAPTER 8: LIKE FAMILY

"Well?" Caroline demanded loudly as soon as Jeremy appeared at her front door. His eyes widened comically; he hadn't even had time to knock before Caroline had thrown open the door.

"Uh, can I come in first? This isn't exactly porch talk, you know," Jeremy replied.

"Oh. Sorry," Caroline said with a faint blush. "It's just, I could hear your footsteps, and I can recognize your heartbeat at this point and it wasn't going too fast, not like right now, it's just speeding along, and I figured that must mean that you have good news! That or she wouldn't talk to you, or something, but – "

"Whoa, whoa, Caroline," Jeremy laughingly put a hand up to stop her rambling. "Slow down. I didn't get like half of that. Wait, you can recognize my _heartbeat_?" he asked incredulously.

"Uh huh," Caroline replied. "I can recognize most of our group's. Well Stefan and Damon don't have one, which is so weird, you know, 'cause it feels like I have a heartbeat, like I can't hear it, but sometimes it really feels like it's still beating, which… heh. Sorry," Caroline closed her mouth at the sight of Jeremy's hanging open.

"What's with you, Care? I don't think I've seen you like this in a long time," Jeremy asked.

Caroline sighed and flopped down onto the couch. She didn't want to bring up her talk with Sheila; it felt too personal. It was a conversation for another time. She would have to figure out how to share the information without sharing the emotions, which was hard for her to do. Instead, she told him, "I think it has to do with the fact that there isn't a big bad right now. Like, I still can't think about Alaric, or really anything that's happened in the past year and a half, but if I look to the future, everything just looks so good, you know? Like we can do anything. I'm not like, carefree, or anything. But I think I'm a lot more hopeful than I've been in a long time," she explained.

"That kind of makes sense. I mean, I don't know if it's healthy, but I know if I think about everything that's gone down, I'm just gonna get crazy depressed, so I don't think about it. Like I miss people, but…" Jeremy shrugged. "Time heals all wounds, and all that, right?"

Caroline nodded fervently. "Agreed. So, now, Bonnie. What did she say?!" Caroline was leaning so far forward towards him, he was kind of shocked she didn't just fall off the couch.

"She didn't say yes – "

"WHAT!" Caroline shrieked before he could finish.

"Care, shut it for like five seconds, okay?" Jeremy grumbled.

"Sorry, sorry! Continue, please," Caroline tried to settle back into the couch and stay calm.

"Okay, so she didn't say yes, but she didn't say no, either. She just said that she's not sure how possible a spell like that would be for just her. She said she might have to get help, and she doesn't really have any witchy connections for that. And she really doesn't want to try and reach out to Abby for help. So she said she'd look into it. She also had a question, and it kind of make me have a few questions, too," Jeremy said, looking at Caroline carefully.

"Okay, well, what are they? Maybe I can answer them."

"Bonnie's question is if she does this, and it works, what's to stop someone like Damon finding another vampire to turn him back? Or our supernatural enemies from just slaughtering all of us? The rest of the Originals are still out there, and who knows if they want revenge? Doppelgangers may have been Klaus' thing, but Elena staked Rebecca, and Kol stalked me for months. No vampires means no super strength, no healing, no coming back from a snapped neck," at this, Jeremy rubbed his own neck. After Alaric, he'd taken off his ring, and it still made him uncomfortable when he realized he had zero protection from the supernatural.

"I don't know what to say about Damon," Caroline admitted. "He very well may find the first vampire he can and beg to be turned. But as far as I know, Damon doesn't really have vampire friends. How can he know that the vampire he finds won't just kill him? And besides, and I know you don't want to hear this, but he's really into Elena. Being human will probably give him a better chance with her, and he's not going to just throw that away."

Jeremy clenched his jaw at the idea of Damon and Elena together, but nodded all the same.

"As for the slaughtering question… I guess we really don't know. But the whole reason we got involved in the supernatural was because of Elena. Don't give me that face, Jer, you know that I love her, but that's the truth." Jeremy opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it shut at Caroline's glare. "I wasn't done. The whole reason Elena got involved was because she was a living doppelganger, which is something Klaus wanted. Well, Klaus is gone now, so there's no need for anyone to hunt down a doppelganger. Besides, after what's happened, the Originals will probably think that Elena is dead. And no other vampires will find out about our returned humanity unless someone goes blabbing, so it shouldn't be too big of an issue," Caroline blew out a breath. Her words had practically tripped off her tongue, as if she had no control over them. It felt weird talking about Klaus, but she couldn't figure out why.

They both sat in silence, the idea of the vampires in their group becoming human once more settling over them. For Jeremy, it meant the return of a normal life. Yes, the possibility of losing people was still there, but the odds had to be better when they weren't fighting the forces of the supernatural, right? His grades were fairly bad, but maybe he could look into college, or an art school. He could devote time to interests that had fallen on the way side when his life, and the lives of his friends and family, were in danger. But for Caroline…

"Hey, Care? Can I ask you a kind of personal question?" Jeremy said tentatively.

Caroline nodded, curiosity painted across her features.

"Why do you want to be a human again?"

Caroline's eyes widened, and she leaned back against the couch. Her mind seemed to go inward, and her living room faded from her sight. Instead, she saw herself crying drunkenly after Damon had insulted her, losing chunks of her memory, wearing scarves constantly and ignoring scars on her body, ignoring the pain in her heart when Bonnie always whispered secrets in Elena's ear before her own. She shook her head and looked back up at Jeremy, trying to bring up a smile.

"I don't," she said calmly.

"Then, why? Why go through all this trouble and work, for something that you don't want?" Jeremy wasn't too surprised. Caroline, despite being the youngest, seemed to have the best control and transitioned seamlessly into vampirism. He was more surprised when he first heard that she wanted to return to being a human.

"Because it wouldn't be fair if Elena, Stefan, and Damon transitioned back and I didn't. I don't want to be a reason for Damon to fight this. Besides, it'll get the Council off our backs. We change back, show up in front of them, down some vervain or whatever they want, and bam. Cleared. And," she whispered, looking past Jeremy, "I don't think Bonnie would forgive me if I chose to stay a vampire."

"Care…" Jeremy murmured. He stood up and went to sit next to her. It was weird, their friendship had never been like this, but he was incredibly glad they were becoming so close.

"I know it sounds really stupid," she sniffled, "but being a vampire brought me a lot of good things. First my mom hated me and what I was, but now we're closer than ever. And I'm still insecure, but I'm not as weak as before. I feel like I could go out in the world by myself and be okay. I really like the thought of having so much time. Like I could make so many mistakes, and try everything, and it would all be okay, because I would have time to fix those mistakes or do things over again. I mean, I don't like the idea of everyone I love dying, but… I think I could get through it. Doesn't that just make me the most heartless person?" she said, looking at Jeremy with a self-deprecating smile.

"No, Care, it doesn't. But if that's how you feel… we really should reconsider this spell thing. Is it really worth it, giving up your future for everyone else?"

Caroline looked at him in shock. "But it's not, Jer. It's not giving up my future. I'll still be alive, I'll still have all the lessons I've learned as a vampire, all the memories I got back. I'll still be who I am right now, I just have to be a bit more careful. It took awhile, but I became okay with being a vampire. I can be okay with being a human again, too."

Caroline leaned her head against Jeremy's shoulder. "Who would have guessed you'd be so wise and understanding, Jer?"

Jeremy laughed and rubbed her shoulder. "Yeah, I've come a long way from that stoner kid hiding under the bleachers."

"You really have Jer. I'm so proud of you," Caroline smiled. "You know, despite all the pain and suffering, I think I still wouldn't give up the past three years. I've grown so much and I never, ever wanted to go back to that girl again."

Jeremy nudged her, "You weren't so bad back then, Care. A little too concerned with the drama, yeah, but you were still a good person. A good friend."

Caroline looked up at him with a fierce look on her face. "No, Jeremy. I was stupid, and shallow, and useless. And _weak_. I'm never going to be like that again."

Jeremy didn't know what to say. Yeah, he'd known Caroline to run at the mouth sometimes, and she really liked to look good, but she did a lot for her friends. After his parent's death, she'd showed up with as much food as she could carry every single day. She only stopped visiting after Elena had refused to see her one too many times. They were all distraught and dealing with Caroline's bubbly personality at the time seemed like way too much to ask. He couldn't even think of a school event that didn't have Caroline's stamp of approval. He didn't know where those words came from, but he hated that she thought that way about herself, even if she was acknowledging that she had moved beyond that person.

"You're wrong, Care. But I know arguing with you is like trying to out drink Damon, so I'm not even going to try. I have one last question for you about this spell, and then I'll get out of your hair."

"Shoot," Caroline replied, leaning back to see him better.

"What about Tyler?" he asked.

Caroline's reaction was immediate. Her eyes shuttered, her posture slouched, and her hands spasmed, as if to stop herself from clenching them into fists. "What _about_ Tyler?" she growled.

"I don't know what happened between the two of you, and if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. But there's no way he's going to agree with this spell. Taking away his vampire side will just leave his werewolf side, and he _hates_ that part of himself."

"Tyler's not going to be a problem," Caroline said dismissively. "He's left town. And I highly doubt he'll be returning any time soon."

"Alright," Jeremy responded, trying to ignore the anger in Caroline's voice. He hadn't even known that Tyler had left, but it didn't really surprise him.

Caroline heaved a sigh and narrowed her eyes at Jeremy. "Just spit it out, Jer."

"It's just, you guys were so close. And here it is, three weeks after everything went down, and it's like you're glad to be rid of him. I thought you guys were going to run away with each other."

"It's not, I'm not, it's just…" Caroline sputtered. She sighed again and looked down at her hands. "He wanted me to leave with him. We had a huge fight and broke up. I still love him. But, we're just… When we found out about Elena, I knew we couldn't run. Not just yet. I couldn't leave you, and Matt, and Bonnie. Yes, it would be dangerous for us, but I figured if the Council saw that Alaric was a vampire, they would be a bit more suspicious about his information. Between my mom, Tyler's mom, and Meredith, I thought we would have a few weeks before we absolutely needed to leave. But Tyler wanted to leave immediately. I should understand, I mean, he's never been close to Elena, and he hates Damon and Stefan, so why should he care what happens to them? So we had been fighting about that. And then, it just started unraveling. He wants to run, but he wants to run with a pack. I don't want to do that. Imagine a vampire with a pack of werewolves! They'd kill me in five seconds flat. And Tyler couldn't see that. He thought I was being ridiculous. Soon, it was like everything I thought was ridiculous. Remember what I said about "old Caroline"?" she said, spitting out the phrase like acid, "Well, that's how he made me feel again. And he just didn't get it. I think, he started chasing after me because we connected due to the supernatural craziness. Then he felt bad for leaving me and then again for not saving me. So it's just been these weird guilt-filled connections. Now that those are gone… I know he just wants to protect me. But I don't need that kind of protection. I don't need to be coddled. There are so many things that I want to do in life, even if it's a human life. I can't do any of those things with someone who thinks I peaked in high school."

"I'm sure he doesn't think that, Caroline," Jeremy said soothingly. "Tyler can be a pretty big ass, and really arrogant, but he does care for you."

"I know that. I know he loves me, and I love him. But I'm afraid if I stayed with him, that wouldn't be enough. We would end up hating each other. I'd resent him for making me leave my friends and family, and he'd resent me for not appreciating all he's done for me. No, everything's not okay right now, but I want us to be able to run into each in the future and be able hug and say hi. I mean, when all this happened, I assumed we'd be running into each other a lot, since we're immortal, but still. My point still stands." Caroline heard a faint whisper at the back of mind, her own voice saying, _'I'd hate you forever'_ but she shook her head and ignored it.

Jeremy shook his head. "Care, did anyone ever tell you you're way too self-sacrificing?"

Caroline laughed as she got up to stretch. "Nope, that's all Elena." She turned towards the kitchen. "So that was enough serious conversation to last me at least a week. I'm starved. I don't think we've got much, Mom's been busy dealing with the Council plus sheriff-y things, but I'm up for the Grill if you are."

"Uh, yeah, sure. Maybe we can update Matt on the situation as well."

Jeremy got up and began to follow Caroline to the front door. Suddenly, she whipped around to face him.

"Thanks Jeremy. For everything," she gave him a huge smile before leaning forward and pecking him on the cheek. "You really are the best little brother of them all."

Jeremy laughed and tried to ignore the blush flaming across his cheeks. "Any time Caroline, any time."

* * *

Thankfully, the Grill was fairly empty. Spring break meant most of their classmates had gone off on adventures across the states. Matt visibly brightened when they walked through the doors, and seeing that Caroline was giggling so hard she had to hold on to Jeremy's arm, and Jeremy himself was sporting an indulgent smile, he figured that good news was finally coming their way.

"Matt!" Caroline squealed, and ran forward to hug him.

"Hey man," Jeremy called out as he clapped Matt on the shoulder and went to secure a booth.

"Hey, Care," Matt smiled, happy to see her in such a good mood.

"I know you're working, but Jeremy has a bit of news about our endeavor, if you have a free moment."

"Yeah, actually I've been waiting to take my break, so I can meet you guys in like five minutes? You want me to put an order in first?"

Caroline grinned. "You're an angel, Mr. Donovan. We're starved!"

Matt laughed and followed her to the booth. This all felt so weird. It felt like _before_. Not just before all the supernatural insanity, but before he and Elena had started dating. They'd all been friends since childhood, and there was always some combination of the four of them hanging out somewhere (five if Jeremy was tagging along). It wasn't unusual for them to sleep over at each other's homes nearly every weekend. Then, he and Elena decided to try for more than friendship (something he's finally come to realize was only felt on his side, not hers), and things changed. Matt no longer stayed over at Caroline's or Bonnie's, nor was he up to date on all the drama with Caroline's mom. He'd run up to hug Elena after a football game, not all three girls. The strong support that had built up between Caroline, Bonnie, and himself after years of commiserating about non-existent parents had fallen apart. They were all friends, but now he was "Elena's boyfriend", instead of "Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena's friend". It felt great getting that friendship back.

After taking their orders and dropping them off at the kitchen, Matt sat back down at the booth with a basket of curly fries. Caroline's smile lit up her whole face as she snatched a handful and shoved it all in her mouth.

"Real classy there Care," Jeremy snorted. Caroline simply glared back as she struggled to chew and swallow her mouthful.

Matt watched with a small smile as Jeremy and Caroline bantered back and forth as they told him about Jeremy's conversation with Bonnie. Like Caroline, he hadn't been too surprised about Bonnie's attitude. He was pretty sure he and Jeremy felt the same. Thankfully, he hadn't lost as many people as Bonnie and Jeremy, but the loss of Vicki still left a huge hole in his heart. Sometimes it would blind side him, and he would be consumed with an overwhelming hate towards the Salvatore brothers for involving him. He even felt a little bitter that Elena had not only chosen Stefan over him, but willingly surrounded herself with such dangerous people. But now, all that could change. They could all get out of this supernatural business once and for all.

"So all we've got to do is work on convincing Bonnie that not only is this the right thing to do, but that she can do it," Caroline finished. "Unfortunately, she's still not answering my texts, and I don't want to push her. I'm still too close to the situation. But between the two of you…" she trailed off.

"We can try," Matt replied. "But she's got a lot of legitimate concerns. Didn't Damon have some witches that he worked with? Why don't we just ask him to get them?"

"Because, like most people who know Damon for more than five minutes, they all hate him and would probably kill him as soon as the spell's done," Caroline replied.

"Not really seeing how that's a bad thing," Matt muttered.

"Matt…" Caroline murmured, reaching across the table to grab his hand. "Believe me, most days, I'd be one of the first people to agree with you. But it's not up to us to decide that. Anyways, that's not going to be necessary. I'm fairly positive Bonnie won't have to worry about the additional help or the dead witches," she commented nonchalantly.

Jeremy and Matt looked at each other, trying to see if the other understood what Caroline had just said.

"Something you want to share with the rest of the class, Care?" Jeremy prodded.

Caroline let out a little giggle. "Sorry guys. I may or may not have spoken with Sheila, and she's agreed to talk to Bonnie and the witches, as well as get one of her family members to come and help Bonnie. Didn't I tell you?" Hopefully hiding under the humor would help her avoid any other questions about Sheila.

"No, you didn't," Jeremy and Matt chorused together.

Matt looked like he wanted to ask more about it, but then he checked his watch. "My break's almost over, but I have one question. Elena will want to be human, I know that. Stefan too. But what about Damon? How the hell are we going to get him to agree to this? Even if he does love Elena or whatever, he's going to bitch and fight us about this. He could cause a lot of problems."

A rather uncharacteristic smirk spread across Caroline's lips. "You let me worry about that, boys. I've got it under control."

Jeremy and Matt stared at her, and then looked at each other. Caroline's plans weren't exactly well known for working out well.

"Better you than me," Jeremy shrugged.

Matt snorted and got up to return to work. "Keep me updated, 'kay guys?"

"Of course!" Caroline chirped. "Also, can we get more curly fries, please?" she grinned, fluttering her eyelashes for effect.

Matt couldn't help but grin and nod as he walked away. Behind him, he could hear Jeremy's loud guffaws of laughter as Caroline berated him. Finally, things felt good again.


	9. Promises, Promises

**Disclaimer: **Don't own; don't sue.

**Summary: **Immediately following the events of Season 3. Caroline's got a grand plan to fix everyone's problems, but since when did plans ever work right in Mystic Falls? Ensemble, Caroline-centric. Features Damon/Caroline, Stefan/Elena, and mild Bonnie/Jeremy.

**Spoilers: **All aired episodes. Everything else is just speculation/AU. It should be mentioned, as we get closer to the premiere (October 11th!), I am very purposely avoiding spoilers for Season 4. As this fic will be on-going during Season 4, I may or may incorporate canon ideas/events/information. However, I will ALWAYS warn in the spoilers section. All I ask is that you _**PLEASE, PLEASE**_ do not spoil anything for me as far as Season 4, including speculation/writer's/producer's/actor's comments. I rarely watch episodes live, and may not have seen the episode(s) in question. :) THANK YOU.

**Author's Notes: **This is the last chapter I have left in my queue. From now on, updates will be MUCH slower (especially since Chapter 10 is giving me lots of headaches). If you're curious about the status of an update, please check out my profile. :)

Beware, there are a fair bit of swear words (f-bombs included) in this chapter. I am truly sorry if this offends you.

CHAPTER 9: PROMISES, PROMISES

Just as Jeremy and Matt and even her mother had noticed, Caroline was feeling better than she had in weeks. Probably months, if she was being completely honest. Spring break was coming to a close, and both graduation and prom were right around the corner. Although Bonnie was still ignoring her texts, Caroline liked to think it was because she was spending time with her father and their relatives. She was currently wasting away her last day of break determining her outfits for the next week. The beginning of prom committee meetings also meant the beginning of Prom Queen campaign season. Although Caroline wasn't going to dedicate as much of her time and energy to her campaign as she had been planning to (The Plan and graduation and helping Elena adjust came first), she wasn't going to sit idly by. Truthfully, she didn't care nearly as much about Prom Queen as she had about Miss Mystic Falls. Prom Queen wasn't so much a competition as a game of politics. Frankly, with all the skeletons she had accumulated in her closet lately, she'd rather avoid the mudslinging that came with the title.

With a critical eye, Caroline compared two blouses side by side. She hadn't gone shopping in far too long, and the amount of clothes that had been irreparably covered in blood or dirt had begun to pile up. Perhaps she could convince the boys to let Elena out long enough to go to a decent mall? As if prompted by her thoughts, her phone buzzed.

'Can you come to the boarding house? I need to talk to you.'

Caroline bit her lip worriedly. Elena had been slowly coming down from her earlier high of transition, but she was still generally happy. This text sounded far too serious for Caroline's comfort.

'Yeah. Be there ASAP. Everything okay?' she texted back, grabbing her purse as she ran down the stairs and out the door. She drove one handed, the other hand clutched around her phone. Elena_still_ hadn't texted her back. Was that a good sign, or bad? She didn't have nearly enough information to make that determination. Her lip had begun to bleed with how much she had been gnawing on it. Unconsciously, she began to press harder on her gas pedal, the miles flying by.

When she arrived at the boarding house, she practically flew out of her car, slamming the door shut behind her. She crashed through their front door, eyes wild, searching for her friends. She almost couldn't believe it when she spotted Stefan, Damon, and Elena all sitting on the couches, talking normally.

"What's wrong?!" she screeched, upset that there didn't seem to be an emergency.

Three pairs of eyebrows met three hairlines.

"Uh, hey there, Care," Elena said carefully. "Are you okay?"

"Am _I_ okay? Me?! I'm not the one who sent a 911 text and then didn't respond!" Caroline knew she was quite possibly over-reacting, but she had honestly been terrified that a new big bad had arrived, after only weeks of peace.

"Didn't respond?" Elena asked, her nose scrunched up. "But I… ohhh," she murmured, glancing at her phone.

"Sorry, I didn't read the whole text. I really didn't mean to make it sound like a 911. Sorry, Care," she finished apologetically.

Caroline sighed dramatically and flounced over to the couches. "No, I'm sorry. I just get freaked out a little more easily nowadays, I guess."

"A _little_ more easily?" Damon muttered next to her. Barely sparing him a glance, she punched him in the thigh.

She hadn't even noticed that she had chosen to sit on the arm of the chair he was in, despite the various open spaces on other couches.

"So what did you need to talk to me for, if there's no 911?" Caroline inquired.

A huge grin split Elena's face, while the two brothers looked a little, well, nauseous honestly. Caroline looked from person to person, completely confused. She didn't have to wait long.

"I'm going back to school!" she exclaimed.

"Really?" Caroline's eyes popped open. "Your guard dogs are gonna let you go?" she grinned at Damon and Stefan. Damon rolled his eyes, but Stefan was looking pale, as if he might faint.

"Yes," Stefan croaked. He cleared his throat and started again. "Yes. Elena has been around blood, people, people bleeding," Caroline's eyebrows flew up at this, "and every other temptation we could think of. She can't compel or fresh feed yet – "

"Because Saint Stefan doesn't think those are skills she'll need," interrupted Damon.

"_But_," Stefan continued, "she seems to have everything else handled. So we," ("_He_," Damon interjected) "believe that she should be able to return to school." Stefan finished his speech with a pleading look at his brother. Damon just looked away.

"Besides, I've missed so much, I don't even know if I'll be able to graduate on time at this point. I am _not_ down for summer school," Elena groused. "And doesn't prom committee start soon? I want to do that. I want to be involved again," Elena grinned at Caroline.

"Yeah, it starts after school on Tuesday. We would love to have you," Caroline smiled warmly at Elena.

"Ooh-kay," Damon drawled. "Now that the Lifetime family movie moment is over, can I go? I've got way more interesting places to be."

Before Caroline could ask him just _where_ he wanted to go, Stefan spoke. "Actually, no, we're not done. The whole reason we wanted to talk to you," he addressed Caroline, "was because we were hoping you could help us. I've been out of school for so long that I'm considered a drop out. I can't be there to keep an eye out on Elena. And Damon refuses to step foot near the school. So you're kind of our only option for making sure Elena doesn't…" he glanced at his girlfriend, trying to think of a polite way to word things.

"So she doesn't flip out and eat half the school," Damon finished for him. "What?" he asked, in response to Stefan's glare.

"No, he's right," Elena remarked, before the brothers could say anything more. "I need someone who knows what to look out for, and with the strength to stop me if I can't stop myself. I know it's a lot to ask, Caroline, but I would really like that person to be you."

Although Stefan had pointed out that no one else was really available, Caroline felt touched by Elena's words. Stefan had done pretty much the same for her, and she had always wanted to repay him for all the guidance he had given her in her time of need. "Of course, Elena. I would love to."

Elena and Stefan wore matching smiles at her answer. Elena got up to hug Caroline, then looked back at Stefan. "Hunting?" she asked softly, holding her hand out to him. Stefan nodded and took her hand, and they both sped out of the house.

Caroline was smiling in the direction they had left in when she heard Damon scoff behind her.

"Yecch," he groused. "I need a drink." He quickly got up and made his way to their liquor cabinet.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Caroline asked before she could stop herself.

Damon shot her a look over his glass of bourbon and Caroline felt as if she had shrunk three sizes. Of course, seeing Elena and Stefan so couple-y was grating on the older Salvatore, which was why he had been so absent from everyone's company lately.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, as Caroline debated running out or attempting to say something. Thankfully, Damon saved her from making the decision.

"They go hunting to _bond_," he muttered, looking off into the distance. "They talk about their feelings and their future, their hopes and dreams and all that shit. Then they come back high off blood and their date and they fuck," he finished, desperately trying to sound nonchalant.

"Oh. Oh, Damon," Caroline whispered.

"Don't give me that fucking look. I'm not some kicked puppy, okay?" he snapped, slouching into the couch across her. "Don't you think I know how fucking pathetic this? How pathetic _I_ am? What kind of idiot falls for his brother's girl twice?"

"That's not… that's not how I see you, Damon," she said softly. It really wasn't. She had practically thought this subject to death in the past year, and although she had never wanted Damon to end up with Elena, she hadn't wanted him to go through this pain, either. But what could she say to ease the pain of never being picked? It was a feeling she understood all too well, but she had yet to hear the magic words to make the feeling go away.

"Whatever," he grunted, refusing to look at her.

Caroline studied her hands carefully, before plunging ahead. "I have a question for you. Or, a proposition, I guess."

Damon raised his eyebrow and considered her for a moment. "Alright," he prompted.

_No time like the present_, she thought desperately. "What if…" she swallowed nervously. "What if you were to become human?"

Damon let out a bark of laughter. "Got it hand it to you, Barbie, you really know how to change the subject. Where the hell did that come from?"

It wasn't quite the response that she wanted, but she could roll with it. "Uh, just curious I guess. Like for me, it's easy to imagine being human, because I _was_ not that long ago. And Stefan tries so hard to not be a vampire, I can see him as human pretty easily as well. Then there's you."

"There is me," he acknowledged.

"And it's just, being a vampire is such an important part of who you've become, it's just really difficult for me to see how you were back in the day, you know? So. I was just wondering. If you were to become human again, what would you do?"

Damon continued to chuckle quietly. "I haven't really thought about it. I mean, with Elena, I did kind of think… if we had met and I was human…" he drifted off. Shaking his head, he continued. "But what's the point in thinking about things that can't happen?" He shrugged.

"But what if it could," she pressed. "What if you woke up, and you were human? If we were all human?"

Damon narrowed his eyes at her. "What is going on under all that blonde hair of yours, Barbie? This isn't just curiosity talking. You're _planning_ something."

"No!" she denied quickly. "I'm really not. I was just, you know, thinking of things, and don't worry about it. I think I need to go. Bye Damon!" she leapt up and went for the door. But, as usual, he was faster. He appeared directly in front of her, causing her to stumble back a few steps.

"Out with it, Blondie. If you're planning something, all of our lives are most likely in danger. And I like to know what I'm being signed up for before it kills me."

"Excuse me!" she replied, offended that he would think her plan wouldn't work. "I'll have you know I have been in charge of nearly every successful fundraiser, carnival, festival, and party in Mystic Falls for the past four years, thank you very much. I am more than capable of putting together a simple spell!" _Shit_, she thought as she realized what she had revealed. _Shit, shit, shit, shit!_

"What was that, Caroline? A _spell_? You can't even do magic, what the hell are you doing messing around with a spell? You really are going to get us all killed!" he said disbelievingly. Damon ran a hand through his hair, leaning against the nearest wall.

"I'm not," she protested weakly. "At least, that's not the plan."

"Great," Damon retorted. "You have a plan. Alright. Sit down and explain to me this _plan_ of yours," he sneered.

Caroline stalked back over to her armchair and settled down into it, primly crossing her legs and placing her hands on her knee. Damon walked back over to his alcohol, and began to pour himself another glass of bourbon before shaking his head and grabbing the bottle.

"Speak," he commanded her.

"Humph," she sniffed at him. Taking a deep breath, she thought back to the beginning. Trying not to rush, she went over Bonnie's decision, her inclusion of Matt and Jeremy, her conversation with Sheila, and Jeremy's input that Bonnie would "think about it". She made sure to accentuate the positives: how the Council would leave all of them alone once they proved they were human, that they wouldn't need to lie to their friends (not that Damon had any), and most importantly, that it was what Elena wanted (probably).

He pondered her explanation, taking sips from his bottle. "You've already spoken to Elena and Stefan, then?"

"Umm, no," she admitted. "I didn't want to get their hopes up if it turns out Bonnie can't, or won't, do it."

"So, Judgey finally said sayonara, did she? I'm surprised it took her so long," he mused.

"Stop calling her that! She's been through hell because of all of this, and we would have been dead long ago without her!" Caroline defended. _Dear god, that better not be tears_, she thought angrily, feeling familiar pinpricks in the backs of her eyes.

"I know," he said calmly. Damon looked at her critically. "What I don't get is why _you're_ the one planning this. Why not Witchy, or Baby Gilbert, or hell, even Mutt? Stefan and Elena are too distracted by their epic love story to see anything beyond that right now, so yeah, they wouldn't be able to plan their way out of a paper bag. What do you have to gain from this ridiculous idea?"

Caroline frowned. "I already told you, the Council – "

"Yeah, yeah, the Council is after your ass. So run. Dog Boy already left town, you could probably catch up to him if you want. And if you don't," he continued, ignoring the hurt that flashed across her face, "you've got eternity. Get out of the country, be a model, wrestle lions, do whatever. Your mom is fine with your lifestyle, and nothing's stopping her from visiting you in an exotic locale. So tell me, Blondie, why the hell would you choose humanity over all that?"

Caroline's mouth flopped open and closed. How was it that both he and Jeremy were so capable of seeing how she really felt? Was she truly that transparent?

"I, I…" she stuttered. "It's for the best." Damon scoffed. "It is!" she continued, in a stronger voice. "I mean, I wouldn't have to worry about attacking one of my friends! Or, or being hunted by crazy vampire hunters. Those exist, you know, and I doubt they're all as friendly as Alaric. And I wouldn't have to steal from hospitals. And, and…" she struggled to come up with more reasons. She knew mentioning the approval of Bonnie would only fuel Damon's irritation.

Damon snorted. "One, your control is near perfect, and so is your compulsion, which is almost unheard of for a vampire your age. Vampire hunters are rare, and usually incompetent. Most of them still believe in the garlic and holy water shtick. As for the hospital thing, well, there's always fresh feeding," he finished with a smirk.

"Your reasons are bullshit. And I think you know that. So try again. Why are you working so damn hard to make us all human again?"

Caroline felt tears forming in her eyes. And she had been in such a good mood this morning! Finally, she spoke. "Because," she started softly. "Because we're not natural. We're not _right_, Damon. And I'm tired of losing people because of it."

"There it is," he said quietly. "Well, I can't say I agree with any of that. So count me _out_of this date with death, all right?" He stood up and stretched, feeling a strong desire to kill something. Or many somethings.

"But I can't!" Caroline exclaimed. "If you stay a vampire, Stefan won't be able to forgive himself! He won't be okay with you walking the earth alone for eternity. He'll force himself to turn to keep you company, and Elena will have to decide to be a vampire all over again, and you can't do that to them. _Please_, Damon. Please," she beseeched. Her eyes were glassy with tears, and her fists were clenched at her sides. She was the very picture of desperation.

_Damn it_, he thought. "Fine," he grumbled. At her glowing smile, he snapped, "I'll think about it. But no guarantees. When are you planning on doing this?"

"Um, I'm not sure. According to Sheila, she would be sending Bonnie a family member to help her. So we've got to wait for that person to arrive, at least. After that, I'm not sure. However long it takes Bonnie to create the spell, I guess."

Damon nodded and turned his back on her. Damn her. Damn all of them.


	10. Thicker Than Water

**Disclaimer**: Don't own; don't sue.

**Spoilers**: All aired episodes. This INCLUDES Season 4. There are NO direct spoilers for season 4 episodes, but just to be safe.

**Author's Notes**: UGH I suck. I suck SO MUCH for taking so long! I am not a fan of this chapter, and feel like I did not do Bonnie justice in any way, which is why this has taken so long. I am so sorry!

In better news, I have gotten a beta (or three!). My current beta is **Fenmir** and she has been doing an absolutely wonderful job. I am slowly editing and re-uploading the previous chapters. This does not mean you need to go back and read them! It's mostly bringing the story more in line with the characters and making things more concise.

If you're curious about the status of an update, please check out my profile. :) I also have a poll up on my profile about what projects you'd like to see the most. Please vote!

Thank you for the views, reviews, favorites, and alerts! A special THANK YOU to ** . ** because OHMYGOSH. Reviewing every chapter is a fast way to absolutely make my day.

CHAPTER 10: THICKER THAN WATER

Driving through the still sleepy town of Mystic Falls, Lucy Graham felt more than little awkward. This had to be the right decision since Sheila Bennett had sent her, but she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't ready to be home just yet. Looking back on her time with Katherine, and prior to that, when she was so in love with herself and her power, she felt so ashamed. Witches prided themselves on maintaining the balance of nature, defending those without abilities from the creatures of the dark. Although she was slowly making her way back to that ideal, she still had a lot to make up for. Mystic Falls had been a big part of that.

After her mother died, her father had wanted to make sure Lucy would never have to dedicate her life to the balance of nature and the powers that be. Obviously, moving thousands of miles away hadn't worked. Lucy had stumbled upon her abilities in time, and without any one to guide her, didn't exactly stay on the straight and narrow. _But that part of my life is over_, Lucy thought sternly to herself, clutching at her steering wheel. _I came home because Aunty wanted me to_, she reminded herself. To do what, exactly, she had no clue. Her first stop was a motel and a bed, and she'd figure things out from there.

Once she had showered and changed, Lucy weighed her options. Based on her Aunty's actions, she no doubt wanted her to get into the thick of things as soon as possible. But what was she supposed to do? Sluggishly, Lucy sat in front of the vanity and began to brush out her tangled, wet hair. Suddenly, a brief shimmer passed over the mirror, and it was no longer Lucy's face looking back at her. No, now it was Bonnie Bennett, her cousin that she had met awhile back. It was clear that Bonnie could not see her, but Lucy couldn't help whispering her name. Bonnie, as expected, did not react. Instead, a solitary tear rolled down her face. Lucy reached towards the mirror, as if to brush the tear away, but before she could make contact the image vanished, and she was staring at her own reflection once again. Lucy let a sigh escape her. She had hoped that her cousin would have long moved past the drama she had been embroiled in when they had met. _Apparently not_, she thought sadly. _Well, at least I know why I'm here._

Lucy set down her brush and stood. She wanted to help Bonnie, but she'd be of no use when she as tired as she was. Nearly two straight days of driving, stopping only for gas, food, and bathroom breaks would do that to a person. "Sorry Bonnie, Aunty," she whispered as she fell upon the bed, asleep in seconds.

* * *

Bonnie listlessly pulled clothes out of her suitcase, not quite seeing what she was doing. She had packed in a similar state of mind, knowing that it didn't much matter what she brought to her visit her dad's family. Although he kept his distance from her, she couldn't really blame him. In general, his family fully embraced the "stiff upper lip" thing after coming over from England, and after what Abby and Sheila had put him through… Bonnie bit her lip and tried not to think of her mother's side of her family. The witchy side. The side that had lost her so many people. Despite what she had told Caroline, Bonnie didn't just blame the vampires for everything that had happened. Vampires were created by witches, one of whom was Bonnie's own ancestor. Emily, Abby, Sheila… If she had anyone to blame for dragging her into this and leaving her to fend for herself, it was her own family.

But what was the point in playing that game? She had cut off _all_ her ties to the supernatural. That meant to her magic, and to her mother's side. '_Not that it really matters_,' she thought ruefully. Bonnie knew her mother wouldn't be seeking her out any time soon, and because of Abby's earlier abandonment, she'd never really known anyone else in the Bennett line.

Bonnie sniffled despite herself, and tried to focus on unpacking. She knew she should prepare for school the next day, but that meant seeing Caroline and Jeremy and Matt… she'd been avoiding them all for the past month, but tomorrow meant the start of Prom season and the race to graduation, events Caroline, Elena, and herself had been talking about since before they'd started high school. She couldn't imagine not being on one of Caroline's committees, but she didn't know if she could handle it. She wasn't mad at Caroline, but being around her, knowing that her survival depending on the blood of others, that her face would never see the consequence of her big, bright smiles, that their children and grandchildren wouldn't grow up together like they had once giggled about… With both her best friends being immortal, Bonnie had never felt more alone.

Glaring down at the shirt in her hands, it took Bonnie a second to realize that it wasn't hers. She'd had it for the past year or so, but that was because Caroline had been way too distracted by her transition to realize it had gone missing. It wasn't Bonnie's style at all; all at once too bright and girlish, while still attempting to be seductive. Perfect for Caroline, but it didn't go with Bonnie's fashion sense at all. In fact, she was nearly positive she hadn't packed it for her trip. The more she thought about it, she was pretty sure she had thrown in the back of her closet in a fit the day she'd given Caroline a sunlight ring. Swallowing the sudden lump in her throat, Bonnie gently placed the shirt back on her bed. What was going on?

* * *

Once she was sure that she no longer smelled like the cramped insides of her car and that she wouldn't fall over from sheer exhaustion, Lucy set out to speak with her cousin. A quick location spell, and soon Lucy was idling in front of Bonnie's house. It was cute and neat, and looked nothing like anything Lucy had ever lived in. Although she had wanted to learn more about her cousin and respected (and feared, just a little) her Aunty, Lucy began to panic. Sure, she'd been doing good deeds for past year or so, but she also hadn't made any friends or set down any roots or done anything to tie her to a place. And based on what she knew of Bonnie, that's what the supernatural entities in Mystic Falls did to you. They tied you down. Or they killed you.

As if realizing Lucy's indecision, a powerful breeze swept over the car. Lucy glanced at the leaves blowing over her hood curiously, groaning when she realized that it was yet another nudge from her Aunty. As the breeze faded, so did the sounds of her car. Lucy's car had died, and now she had no choice but to approach the Bennett household.

* * *

Bonnie weighed her options. She could pretend she had packed the shirt last week and forgotten, and continue to ignore the butterflies in her stomach that implied a magical reason for its reappearance. She could throw away the shirt and be done with it (but a nagging reminder of a certain necklace told her this wouldn't be as effective as she'd like). She could call Caroline and return the shirt (but that appealed to her least of all). Vaguely frustrated that a shirt of all things was causing her such anxiety, Bonnie was prepared to set the thing on fire when a strong gust of wind blew in through her window (that she had sworn was closed just a minute ago). It swept her hair in front of her, momentarily blinding her, and snatched up Caroline's shirt from the bed. Groaning out loud, Bonnie realized that she didn't have a choice at all, and thanked whoever was listening that her father wasn't home to see his daughter chasing a floating blouse around their home.

Just as she was about to give up and let the damn shirt fly off to wherever it wanted, it floated gently to the floor, directly in front of the front door.

"Oh ha ha," Bonnie muttered, assuming that this meant the powers that be wanted her out of the house. Unfortunately for them, it would take a lot more than a controversial article of clothing to force her to do something she didn't want to.

Kneeling down to pick up the now thoroughly hated blouse, she didn't see the looming shadow appear over her. Therefore, when three steady knocks sounded right above her head, she let out a (very dignified, if she said so herself) high pitched squeak and fell right on her butt.

After a deep breaths to calm her racing heart, Bonnie set her face into a firm glare and prepared to give her unwelcome visitor a piece of her mind. She yanked the door open with slightly more strength than necessary, and then immediately dropped the shirt clutched in her hand, her mouth falling open to gape at a woman she honestly never thought she'd see again.

"Lucy?" she breathed out.

"In the flesh," the tall, willowy woman across from her replied. She jutted out her hip and smiled at Bonnie. She looked just as Bonnie remembered her; confident, beautiful, and strong. But yet, there was something about the way Lucy was looking at her that made Bonnie think that Lucy was not the same woman that had appeared in Mystic Falls a year ago. There was the faint hint of dark bags underneath her eyes, her make-up was minimal and basic, and she was dressed simply. Blushing and trying to cover up the fact that was definitely analyzing the appearance of her cousin, Bonnie ushered Lucy into her house.

"I want to ask why you've come to visit me, but I have the sinking feeling that I'm not going to want to hear the answer," Bonnie said. _'Stop over-thinking this,' _she thought to herself. _'The last time you saw her was at a party a YEAR ago, of course she looks different now.'_

Lucy let out a soft laugh as she settled onto the couch. "Depends. I'm here to help, in any way I can. I'm just not really sure how I _can_ help."

"Help? With what?" Bonnie questioned. The sinking feeling she'd had earlier was beginning to feel like a black hole, and she had picked up that stupid shirt without realizing it and was twisting it around her fingers.

"Not really sure on that either. All I know is my Aunty, your Grams, sent me here. And she wanted me to come to you, specifically."

"Grams?" Bonnie whispered. She had been thinking of Sheila a lot lately, seeming to miss her desperately most times and yet others, feel so frustrated that she hadn't helped with Bonnie's magic training at all. Sheila had been a mother figure more often than a grandmother, and her death had felt like another abandonment.

"I better not be the cause of that sour look on your face, baby."

For the second time in less than ten minutes, Bonnie let out a slightly inhuman noise as her heart stuttered.

"Aunty?" "Grams?!" Lucy and Bonnie asked simultaneously.

"It's good to see the both of you," Sheila smiled at them. "I had always wanted you to meet, but your fathers didn't exactly agree with me on that."

Lucy and Bonnie were both staring, in a state of shock. Although, as the seconds ticked by, it was clear that they shouldn't have been. The various tricks that had been played on them the past few days made perfect sense when Sheila got involved.

Surprisingly, Bonnie was the first to recover.

"So what do I need to do, and why do I need Lucy's help?" she nodded towards her cousin.

"Everyone needs help sometimes," Grams answered a little sternly, "Especially since Lucy has a much stronger background in witch craft than you do, my dear. You have the brute strength, especially after all you've done in the past year and a half, but lack a certain finesse in your spells. Lucy can help you with that."

"So, she's meant to be my tutor?" Bonnie asked uncertainly.

"Not quite," Grams said with an enigmatic smile. "If you choose to conduct a more formal training after this, yes, Lucy can help. But there is a particular spell that I need you two to do."

Both girls looked at their matriarch in confusion.

"I need you to turn a few vampires human."

* * *

Lucy knew she must have looked like a fish out of water, with her mouth hanging open and her eyes bulging out. But that didn't compare with Bonnie's reaction. Bonnie had leapt off her seat and stood with her hands in fists, pointed straight at the ground. She was ranting, throwing around words like "original", "failure", and "bloodlines", but most of it went over Lucy's head. Although she was fairly surprised by her seemingly calm cousin's reaction, she was more blown away by the request. She hadn't ever heard of something like that before. Most vampires either loved the lifestyle or chose to end it themselves, the latter being incredibly rare. And if they wanted to try and weaken an older or more powerful vampire, they would usually use simpler spells or even attack with numbers on their side. What kind of a vampire would want to return to a mortal life?

Throughout Bonnie's speech, Sheila had stood strong and still, her eyes never leaving Bonnie's. But now, she raised her hand up to stop Bonnie's words.

"Baby, I know you've got a lot of concerns. And I'm sorry I can't be there to guide you through all of this. But my time is growing short, and so is yours. This has nothing to do with the Originals, although we will be having a conversation about Klaus and what path you're putting yourself on at another time. For now, all I can tell you is that Caroline is a good friend."

"Caro – " Bonnie attempted to interrupt.

"I'm not finished. Caroline is a good friend. And she will do whatever it takes to make sure she doesn't lose you. She has a plan, but she's going to need your help. You remember what Esther tried to do?"

Bonnie nodded wordlessly. Lucy glanced from Bonnie to Sheila, not looking forward to all the information she'd have to pry out of her cousin later.

"Good. I need you to do what she tried to do, but for Caroline, Elena, Stefan, and Damon. Esther's spell is not available to you, and if it was, I would not have you use it. Her motive was in regret, and in death, and she was supported by those who do not truly understand what the balance of nature requires. Lucy will help you craft a spell."

With that, Sheila locked eyes with Lucy.

"You must both be very careful. The spirits of the witches of the past have agreed to help you, but their help does not come easily. They will take any chance they have to subvert your cause to support their own. You must know exactly what you want before you ask for it."

Both girls nodded, more than a little worried now.

"Grams…" Bonnie started, blinking back a few unwanted tears. "I just, I don't understand. Isn't a spell like this exactly what we're supposed to avoid? Would it upset the balance of nature?"

Sheila smiled gently. "Oh sweetie. You always did put the weight of the world on your shoulders. The balance of nature is not as simple as it may seem. The world has changed, and vampires have become a part of it. As a certain Mr. Salvatore would say, they are a part of the food chain, as it were," Grams said wryly. "I will not lie to you," she continued, glancing between Bonnie and Lucy, "there are risks to doing this spell. The spirits do not see any vampire life as worth saving, and that is exactly what you would be doing. But I swear to you that this is exactly what witches were always meant to do; protecting the balance of nature by saving the souls of the innocent."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed, and a comment about Damon's innocence (or extreme lack thereof) threatened to issue from her mouth. But before she could speak, Sheila reached out as if to grab their hands. Her fingertips stopped just short of making contact.

"I am so sorry, my darling girls. This is not what I wanted for either of you. But I can promise you. Things will get better. And remember, "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.""

With that, Sheila disappeared, as if she had never been there at all.

Brushing a hand across her face to wipe away an errant tear, Bonnie turned to Lucy.

"Was that, was that a quote from Winnie the Pooh?"

Lucy smiled wide, her own eyes wet as well. "You know, I think it was. Did she always give you Winnie the Pooh cards for your birthday, too?"

"Every year," Bonnie grinned.

"My dad used to get so mad; he made sure to never give out our mailing address, but one would always show up, right on my birthday, every year." Lucy replied.

Both girls sat and sniffled a little while longer. Taking a deep breath, Lucy reached over and grabbed her cousin's hand.

"Let's get in the middle of all these vampires one more time, okay cuz?"


	11. One More Last Try

**Disclaimer**: Don't own; don't sue. Title of this chapter also comes from the Marianas Trench song "Haven't Had Enough".

**Spoilers**: All aired episodes. This INCLUDES Season 4. There are NO direct spoilers for season 4 episodes, but just to be safe. I am deviating from Season 4 canon in Elena's transition, so please don't yell at me for any differences you may find with Elena's vampirism.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you to **Fenmir** for the phenomenal beta.

I am slowly editing and re-uploading the previous chapters. This does not mean you need to go back and read them! It's mostly bringing the story more in line with the characters and making things more concise.

I apologize HEARTILY for the wait! Unfortunately, that is going to be the norm from here on out. :( I do plan on finishing this story, but it will take a while!

Thank you for the views, reviews, favorites, and alerts!

* * *

CHAPTER 11: ONE MORE LAST TRY

When Bonnie texted her the Wednesday after spring break, Caroline almost dropped her phone in shock.

The first three days of school for Elena had been difficult, but they survived. She hated to admit it, but Damon had been right. Elena definitely needed to get her compulsion up to par. Caroline had had to compel no less than three teachers, seven students, and even a janitor after a few close shaves. Not to mention talk Elena down from a vaguely suicidal breakdown after she tried to eat Mr. Davis when he assigned her a forty-page essay.

Then came Prom committee, which had been slightly more stress than her already frazzled brain could take. As it was her senior year, many under classmen were either sucking up to her or trying to usurp her; all the better to secure their own Queen Bee positions for next year. With Elena attempting to be more involved and attending those meetings as well, Caroline was constantly trying to guide the meeting towards something productive (they needed at least a theme and color scheme by the end of the week, people!) while keeping an eye on an ever-increasingly twitchy Elena. By the time she got home in the afternoons, she was exhausted.

Then came homework (and the projects she had neglected over spring break), making sure her mom ate and slept, more prom research (streamers couldn't be THAT expensive, could they?), and calling Elena to make sure she was settling back into her own house well enough. Stefan was staying over just to be safe, but still. She couldn't help but have flashbacks of her own attack on Matt when she had thought she was in control. She didn't want Elena to feel like that over Jeremy.

Until her phone buzzed that fateful afternoon, she had nearly forgotten about her Plan, and Bonnie's avoidance of them. Okay, that was a lie. Every time she wiped the blood from Elena's mouth, or discussed clashing colors with the committee, or thought of a scathing remark during class, her mind flashed to Bonnie. Caroline had thought that the past month without one of her best friends had been enough to strengthen her defenses; to make her strong enough to take care of Elena on her own.

Boy was she wrong.

The text was simple, but it sent Caroline's stomach roiling nonetheless.

'Can we talk?'

Caroline gulped as her fingers hovered over her phone. She desperately wanted to call Bonnie and reveal everything that had been going on the past month, her fears about Elena and the rest of the vampires, her concern over her mom, Jeremy, and Matt, her own insecurity over Tyler's exit, the nagging feeling that things simply weren't right in Mystic Falls… but she didn't want to overwhelm Bonnie.

'Of course. Would you like to meet?' she sent instead.

Thankfully, Bonnie didn't seem intent on torturing her by making her wait for a response.

'That would probably be for the best. I'll be over in fifteen.'

Caroline sent a quick 'okay' and slowly placed her phone on her dresser. She looked around her room, not seeing its contents. What did this mean? Was Bonnie ready to forgive the vampires of Mystic Falls, or at least Caroline? Would the Plan even be necessary? What about Elena? And the Council?

Suddenly unable to handle her racing thoughts, Caroline dropped onto her bed, took several deep breaths and attempted to calm herself. Looking around her room once more, she contemplated what she would say when her best friend arrived. Her room didn't have any answers for her, although the various prom paraphernalia, schoolwork, and print outs about various supernatural protections (she had been a defenseless human once, she wasn't going to go back to that) told her that this meeting better take place downstairs.

Once downstairs, Caroline paced around her kitchen and living room area. She tried to script out what she wanted to say, but found herself at a loss. She didn't want to jump into talking about the Plan, because Bonnie had been used as their magical Hail Mary way too many times. She didn't want to ask if she'd heard from her mom, or how her dad's family had been, because that was poking at still open wounds. She'd ask about school, but they had four classes together and she knew Bonnie was doing as well as ever (Ms. Plec had loved Bonnie's essay on the conflicting history of who really settled Mystic Falls). Caroline's earlier panic was beginning to bubble up once more.

Despite her freaking out, she couldn't help but pick up a heartbeat approaching her front door. It was steady, which was a comfort. Hopefully that meant Bonnie wasn't afraid to see her. The idea that her best friend would look at her with fear, disgust, or anger… it made Caroline's heart clench and tears begin to form. Taking a deep breath, she slowly began to approach the door, forcing herself to not open it before Bonnie knocked.

Finally, after three firm thuds and with her hand trembling just slightly, Caroline opened the door to greet her friend.

Although she had seen glimpses of Bonnie at school, Caroline couldn't help but drink in the features of the girl across from her. Bonnie's heart rate had increased slightly when Caroline opened the door, but was quickly returning to normal. She was looking straight at Caroline, but there was no animosity in her eyes. The fear, disgust, and anger that Caroline so dreaded was absent.

Unable to stop herself, Caroline threw herself forward and wrapped Bonnie in a tight hug. Realizing her mistake, she let go and took a few generous steps backwards, apologizing while she was at it. Bonnie's eyes had widened almost comically, and her heartbeat had increased rapidly, but she soon spoke over Caroline's babbling.

"Care, it's okay. It's okay. I know this past month must have been rough."

Caroline nodded wordlessly as she moved aside to let Bonnie in.

"That's why I'm here. We have a lot to talk about. And a lot to do."

* * *

"So, you can do the spell?" Caroline whispered.

"Yes," Bonnie answered. Seeing Caroline face to face, with her bright smile and sweet words, was almost more than Bonnie could take. She'd established a firm "out of sight, out of mind" policy the past month in order to keep her distance. But now with her long time friend so close, and so desperately trying to reconnect, Bonnie was quickly losing an internal battle to keep things strictly business. She knew her Grams was right, and after talking more with Lucy, she had realized that cutting all vampires, especially Caroline and Elena, out of her life had been foolish. It had been a knee-jerk reaction, and it had been easier to convince herself it was for the best when she no longer had to constantly save someone or mourn someone else. She'd even pretended that the spell with Klaus had worked out fine, ignoring the fear in her heart when she'd heard Tyler had left town without Caroline. Glancing at Caroline's tired eyes and downturned mouth, Bonnie wondered if Klaus had revealed the body switch to any one before leaving.

"Lucy and I have been able to craft a spell, using Lucy's experiences and the grimoires. The more vampires we use it on, the more strength we need, but between the two of us we should be able to handle you four just fine," Bonnie continued.

"I can't believe it," Caroline murmured, slouching backwards onto the couch. "I mean, I've been planning for it to happen, and I kept imagining how much easier life would be after, but…" she looked up at Bonnie, eyes shining faintly. "I still can't believe it's actually going to happen."

Bonnie nodded, unsure of what to say. She wanted to ask how Caroline felt, if this was really what she wanted, if she was only doing it so that they'd stay friends, and a million other questions. She wanted to be a good friend to Caroline, but she knew if she did ask those questions, and if Caroline answered honestly… it might not be what she wanted to hear. Bonnie hated it, but she was choosing to be selfish, just this once.

"So when?" Caroline cleared her throat and continued. "I mean, when do you think you and Lucy will be able to do it?"

Bonnie ignored the feeling that told her this would change everything and replied. "Friday night. We shouldn't need the full moon, but it's good to have that extra support. Lucy's going to drive to Richmond tomorrow to pick up some last minute supplies, and that should be it. We finished creating the spell itself today."

"Friday," Caroline repeated softly. "Okay. That gives me time to talk to Elena and Stefan. Do… do you want to be there for that?"

"No," Bonnie replied quickly, instantly regretting her sharp tone when she saw Caroline deflate. "No, I don't think I should be. With Elena still adapting to being a vampire, it's just… Not yet."

"Okay," Caroline said gently. "It's okay. So, Salvatore boarding house, Friday night?"

"Midnight." Bonnie added.

Caroline smiled at her, and Bonnie bit her tongue to stop the flow of questions threatening to pour from her mouth. All of those could wait until after the spell. Or however long it took for Caroline to not hate her for using her boyfriend as a safe house for their greatest enemy. If she ever got the courage to tell her.

"Do you want to stay for dinner? I usually cook a fairly large meal so that my mom can eat when she gets home. It wouldn't be a big deal to make more. I mean, we haven't really talked in – "

"No," Bonnie interrupted. "Sorry, Care. It's just, with Lucy visiting, and this spell coming up, I really think I should just go home. Thanks, though," she finished lamely, trying to soften the blow.

Caroline smiled, "It's okay Bonnie. I'll see you on Friday, okay? Thank you for coming. And for doing this. It means more than I can say."

Both girls stood up, and before she could over think it, Bonnie tentatively wrapped her arms around the other girl. She didn't hold on for long, but it was enough.

"See you Friday, Care." Walking slowly, Bonnie turned her back on Caroline, promising herself that it would be for the last time.

* * *

Friday came faster than Caroline could blink. She barely slept, and her eating consisted of messy blood bag binges whenever she had a free moment. On Thursday, she had cornered Stefan when he dropped off Elena at school and gave him the cliff notes version of what was happening. His normally stoic face flashed through a dozen emotions, but Caroline knew that he would at least try to think things through logically before she presented it to Elena.

The conversation with Elena had gone as expected. She still didn't have an ironclad grasp on her emotions (but who did, besides maybe Katherine or Elijah?), and wasn't able to hide the sheer joy and excitement at Caroline's announcement. Her eyes had flashed nervously to Stefan, as if hesitant to offend him. However, his gentle smile and reassurance that if it was what she wanted, he wanted it too, set her at ease.

Damon, as usual, was the most difficult. Stefan hadn't seen him in a few days, and he wasn't in the boarding house when Caroline had come over on Thursday afternoon. By lunchtime on Friday, Caroline was getting desperate.

'It's going to happen tonight. Midnight. The boarding house.'

She'd called and left voicemails yesterday, but she didn't even know if he would check them. Nervously, Caroline glanced over at Elena, who was poring over a chemistry textbook across from her. She could always ask Elena to talk to Damon…

So focused on her own inner turmoil, Caroline nearly jumped when the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. But her shock was nothing compared to Elena's reaction. The poor girl nearly jumped a foot in the air, and her screech was only slightly buried under the sudden rush of students inside. Caroline suddenly remembered that this was the third and last Chemistry test before the final. Elena had already missed the first two, and Mr. Torrey never gave make up exams. Elena had to ace this test just to have a hope of passing the class. Smothering a sigh, Caroline knew she couldn't use Elena to convince Damon.

Caroline glanced back down on her phone. As much as she wanted to race to the boarding house to discuss (and if necessary, convince) Damon, she wouldn't be able to leave school without raising red flags with Elena and Bonnie. Bonnie hadn't exactly been friendly the past two days, but she had begun to make eye contact, and even exchange a few small smiles. Walking quickly towards her next class, Caroline typed out one more message to Damon. 'You said you'd think about it. Please.'

* * *

Caroline was pretty sure she was sweating bullets. Her body was supposed to be dead, but her heart was pounding, her palms slick, and her breathing short. Damon hadn't responded to any of her texts or calls. He wasn't at the boarding house when she checked in after school. He wasn't at the Grill, or any of the seedier bars in town. She had even tried to sniff him out in the woods, but she was a vampire, not a bloodhound. She could barely identify his scent (thankfully he was vain enough to use a very specific cologne), much less track it.

Too soon, the sun had set and the hours were ticking away. By ten, Caroline knew she was screwed. On her way home, she sent one last text. 'Stop thinking about Stefan. Or Elena. Or Katherine. Or even me. Being human could be a completely new chance for you. But you have to make that decision for you.'

A little unsettled, Caroline stared at the message. It wasn't at all she meant to type when she had taken out her phone. She was irritated, and frustrated, and definitely stressed out. She had meant to scream at him in all caps, venting out all her emotions. She'd meant to call him selfish and petty. Instead, she had written what she had wished someone had told her. To be selfish. To do whatever she wanted, instead of what she knew was right.

With a defeated sigh, Caroline had sent the message. It wasn't as if anything would make a difference at this point.

* * *

Caroline arrived at the boarding house promptly at 11:15. Her mom hadn't been home when she left, so she'd written a note saying she was spending the night with Elena. No matter how the spell worked (or didn't, a nasty voice in her head whispered), the longer she could keep her mom from worrying, the better. She was hoping to arrive before Bonnie and Lucy, to help ease the introductions. Unfortunately, as she was pulling up to the boarding house, she saw that Bonnie's Prius was already there.

Her heart hammering away in her chest, Caroline was torn. Half of her wanted to race into the house to make sure no one was giving any one else aneurysms, and the other half wanted to stomp on the gas pedal and get the hell out of town. Maybe even the country.

_NO_, she thought fiercely. _No. I made a promise. Better to be human and surrounded by Elena, Stefan, Bonnie, Mom, than to live forever without them. I'm not Klaus. I'm not Katherine. I am Caroline Forbes. I was born human, and I'll die human, just as it should be._

Taking one last deep breath, Caroline steeled herself and got out of the car. She didn't hear any yelling, in pain or otherwise. _That's a good sign_, she thought hopefully. Now she just had to make it through the actual spell, and everything would be fine.

* * *

Bonnie hadn't spoken a single word to him the entire time. Stefan knew things had been weird; to the shock of most, he hadn't always been a brooding loner. He knew Bonnie was more than just a little upset. But with Elena having almost as hard as time transitioning as himself (but thankfully, much less bloody), and his brother being apathetic or just plain gone… To be honest, they had been his priority. But now, with her in his house, avoiding eye contact and only speaking to Lucy (who was friendly enough, but not overtly so), he couldn't deny that he had made a mistake by ignoring the rift with Bonnie. He had spent so much of his life alone; balancing his time with Elena, Damon, and Caroline was hard enough. He had just assumed things would work out with Bonnie in time, despite the misgivings in his heart. Now he knew better.

He had asked Elena to stay upstairs, both so that she wouldn't distract Bonnie and Lucy from their preparations, and to look out for Damon. She had been frustrated, but understood and obeyed. _Little blessings_, he thought with a sigh. As he watched Lucy chalk a few more symbols on the floor while Bonnie lit candles (by hand, he noticed a little sadly), his ears perked up at the sound of another car pulling up. For a second, he wondered if it was Damon, but the sound was too clear, too quiet. _Caroline_, he thought with relief. If someone could diffuse an awkward situation, it was her.

"It's open," he called, before Caroline could knock. Bonnie jumped a little, eyes darting from Lucy to Stefan to the door. Lucy just looked up at her cousin and smiled. Both of them quickly went back to their tasks.

"Hey Stefan," greeted Caroline as she walked into the living room. "Lucy, Bonnie," she smiled at the girls. Both of them smiled back in response, although Bonnie's was noticeably dimmer. "Where's Elena, Stefan?"  
Caroline asked, turning back to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bonnie jerk again, and thought again of how blind he'd been.

"She's upstairs. She's waiting for Damon," he replied. This time, both Bonnie and Caroline seemed to jerk at the name. Dropping his voice below human register, he looked at Caroline, "Were you able to - ?" he trailed off.

"I," Caroline began. "I'm not gonna lie, Stef, I have no idea what's going through your brother's mind. I tried, and I have hope, but…"

Stefan tried to keep his face still. He had hoped… but of course. Damon wasn't one to listen to others, and he certainly wouldn't mind suddenly being the only vampire of the group. That kind of power over others wouldn't be easy to give up. "I understand," he said but Caroline was already looking towards the stairs.

"I'm gonna go see Elena, okay?" she said at normal volume.

"Just be back by 11:50," Bonnie said, before Stefan could speak. If Caroline was surprised to hear Bonnie talk, it didn't show on her face.

"Sounds good, Bon. Thanks," with one last smile at the three, Caroline skipped up to the stairs.


	12. In Your Hands

**Disclaimer**: Don't own; don't sue.

**Spoilers**: All aired episodes, but nothing explicit from Season 4.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you to **Fenmir** for the phenomenal beta.

This is a short chapter and written in a completely different style than the rest of the fic. Comments on such are greatly appreciated!

Thank you for the views, reviews, favorites, and alerts!

* * *

CHAPTER 12: IN YOUR HANDS

11:50 PM

Caroline and Elena come down the stairs, quietly giggling. Bonnie feels a pain in her chest at the sight, remembering how easily that had been her, how it could be her again. _Maybe in an hour, maybe then. We can go back to normal._ Damon hasn't shown up; she assumes he split as soon as he heard the plan. Part of her feels bad for letting down her Grams, but getting Damon in line had not been her job. Now that everyone else would be human, hopefully he'd leave and not come back until they were all dead. Bonnie had wanted to call Matt and Jeremy, but she knew logically that would be foolish. They had no magical training, no increased strength, and since Jeremy had given up his ring, were the most vulnerable. If the spell went wrong, they would be in unnecessary danger. Still, despite logic telling her to leave them out of it, she'd called them both any way. Lucky for them, they were both working the closing shift at the Grill. They wouldn't get out until 2 AM at the earliest, and because she had only told them yesterday, there was no way to switch shifts with any one. Bonnie supposes she should be grateful that they would be kept safe, no matter what happened.

11:51 PM

Caroline, Stefan, and Elena stand before her at the makeshift altar. She and Lucy had cleared the floor, written the proper symbols in chalk, and placed a small table at the direct center. On the table is a plain wooden bowl filled with the necessary ingredients; herbs, old bones, a few animal parts, and the spell itself, written in human blood (Lucy had done this part; Bonnie knew blood spells were among the most powerful, and it was something she wanted to avoid).

Carefully, Bonnie pulls out a short silver knife and looks at the three vampires.

"I need your blood," she says quietly. She still cannot look Elena in the eye.

Wordlessly, they hold their palms out to her.

11:52 PM

The blood, so similar to the human blood that graces the page at the bottom of the bowl, quickly coats the other ingredients. Because of the bulk and the dark, it almost looks like a human heart.

11:54 PM

Lucy steps forward with a lit candle, but before she can reach Bonnie, there is a thunderous crash upstairs. Lucy's hands keep steady, but Bonnie drops the knife onto the table with a clatter. Before she can speak, Damon Salvatore is handing her the knife, his palm already oozing blood into the bowl. The other five occupants of the room are staring at him in shock, but he keeps his eye contact with Bonnie. She accepts the knife from him slowly, gently placing it back down on the table.

11:55 PM

Nobody quite knows how to proceed. Both Stefan and Elena have questions burning in their eyes, and Caroline looks as if she might faint. Lucy checks her watch and glances at the moon outside. Finally, Bonnie begins the incantation.

11:56 PM

As Bonnie speaks, a sudden wind throws the windows and doors open. It smells of dirt and rain and plants, and seems to swirl around the group comfortingly. Bonnie is grateful that the spirits of the witches are not bound to the house as they once were, for now she can feel them, in her veins, in her lungs, in her mind. It is like a constant whisper, but she can't make out the words. She grips Lucy's hand tightly.

11:57 PM

There is a pause in the incantation, and Bonnie turns to Lucy. She nods, and passes the candle over the bowl. The contents catch instantly, despite being drenched in blood. It burns high for just a second, and then falls back to fill the bowl. If not for the emanating heat, the fire is as peaceful as a bowl of water.

11:58 PM

Bonnie returns to her chanting, this time with Lucy joining in. They are calling to nature to reclaim her children in the way she was meant, to undo the abomination that was done to them. But they have been very careful in their words. They speak of growth, of new chances, of "tabula rasa", or the blank slate. Words are power, and they do not want to give the spirits a chance to kill the vampires they wish to save.

11:59 PM

Bonnie and Lucy hold out their hands to the vampires. They are quick to grasp each other's and complete the circle. There is one last verse to this spell, one last plea for help. Bonnie closes her eyes tight and takes a deep breath. As she speaks, she locks eyes with Elena. Elena's eyes are filled with tears, but she's smiling. It's a smile Bonnie hasn't seen in months, maybe years. It's enough to give her the strength she needs.

12:00 AM

As Lucy and Bonnie shout the last word of their spell, the wind already gusting through the house slams into them. The fire goes out, and they cannot help but let go of each other's hands. There is a mighty burst of lightning, quickly followed by rolls of thunder. Between all the noise and the wind, Bonnie can't see any one around her. The thunder begins to fade, but the volume doesn't seem to decrease. But now, it's an awful screaming noise. Blinking away the lights in her eyes, Bonnie looks around desperately for her friends and cousin.

Lucy is kneeling off to the side, having fallen during the wind gusts. Bonnie still can't make out the vampires. Or whatever they are now. She quickly prays that they haven't been erased from existence, or killed.

Concentrating, she lights all the candles in the room, including the fireplace.

Bonnie's mouth drops open in shock, and tears begin to cloud her vision. Damon, Stefan, Caroline, and Elena are all on the floor, clutching their heads. Their eyes are all squeezed shut, and Stefan is whimpering. The screaming had been coming from the other three, but by now, Elena and Damon are silent. It is only Caroline who still has her mouth open, shrieking out at a deafening volume.

Suddenly, all four bodies fall limp. All noise stops, and there is a terrible quiet in the house. Bonnie looks at Lucy fearfully, but neither girl have any idea what has happened.

Bonnie tries to stop herself from sniffling when she hears it. It's slight, but…

Carefully, she makes her way to Caroline, who still has tear tracks down her face. The closer she gets, the more obvious it is. Caroline's chest is rising and falling. So is Damon's, and Stefan's, and Elena's.

"They're breathing," she murmurs to Lucy. Finally allowing her tears to fall, Bonnie settles onto the floor next to her best friend. "We did it."

1:15 AM

It takes some time, but they get the living room cleaned up. Even Elena is too heavy for them to carry all way upstairs, so they move her and Caroline to the couches and attempt to make the boys as comfortable as possible on the floor. Blankets and pillows are easy enough to find, and they quickly pack up the remains of their spell.

Bonnie is torn. She is exhausted, not just from the spell or the day, but from the last month of avoiding her friends. Perhaps even from when all this business started. Tonight is the first time in a very long time where she feels that she can sleep easy. Yet, she wants to be there when they wake up. Caroline and Elena will adapt to being human again easily, she knows this. But still. She wants to see their faces when they feel their heartbeat, when they eat their first meal. Secretly, she also wants to see Damon try to live without compulsion, super speed, and super strength. She also wants to hear why he even showed up.

Lucy, who has been watching her world weary cousin and her ridiculous friends all evening, tosses Bonnie a pillow.

"Sleep, cuz. I'm not nearly as tired as you look. I'll wake you if they start doing something interesting. Swear."

Bonnie smiles gratefully at Lucy. "What would I do without you?" she says softly.

Lucy grins back at her. "You mean, what would we do without Grams?"

Bonnie chuckles quietly and places her pillows between Elena's and Caroline's couches. They're used to sharing twin beds between the three of them, but Bonnie enjoys being this close just the same.


	13. You Can Never Go Home Again

**Disclaimer**: Don't own; don't sue.

**Spoilers**: All aired episodes, but nothing explicit from Season 4.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you to the lovely **Fenmir** from talking me down various writing cliffs. :)

As usual, thank you to everyone who is still reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following.

* * *

CHAPTER 13: YOU CAN NEVER GO HOME AGAIN

Normally, the Friday closing shift was Matt's favorite. Yes, it was crazy busy, and he never stopped moving, but he usually came home with three times his usual tips. Besides, if there was no party going on, the bulk of his classmates would be hanging out, and he always had time for a quick chat between grabbing dirty dishes and picking up new orders.

But knowing that Bonnie was attempting a crazy new spell, possibly risking the lives of Caroline and Elena (and the Salvatore brothers, but they certainly weren't his concern) had set him on edge all evening. Bonnie had mentioned she would be out of communication while preparing, and he hadn't wanted to freak out the girls by constantly asking for information, so he'd been flying blind for hours now. Had the spell worked? Was everyone okay? What were they going to do now?

What about Tyler?

Matt didn't understand the lack of concern about Tyler's leaving. It'd been three weeks since he'd gone without a word. But that had just been the tip of all the weirdness. Ever since they'd killed Klaus (and Matt himself had almost _died_, but he didn't like to think of it that way), Tyler had dodged everyone except Caroline. Matt had been busy trying to distract Jeremy from slipping back into his stoner stage to really chase after Tyler after a few missed calls and unanswered texts, but he'd figured Tyler had Caroline. But things hadn't been going well between the two of them either. Now Tyler was gone, leaving Caroline again, but without giving anyone else a head's up. Matt understood the need for secrecy because of the Council, but none of Tyler's actions really felt like Tyler to him.

Now that the whole thing with Bonnie and the vampires was being wrapped up, they'd listen to his concerns. Maybe everyone else was willing to let Tyler go, but he'd been Matt's closest friend. He wasn't letting him go that easily.

Matt glanced over at Jeremy. He was wiping down a table, but didn't seem as frustrated or anxious as Matt was. Matt didn't get it. This was his sister they were talking about. And the girl Matt was pretty sure Jeremy was still in love with. Matt had a lot of faith in Bonnie, but luck had never been on their side.

Sighing far more deeply than any eighteen year old should, Matt dug out his phone to check the time. 12:26 AM. At least another two hours before the Grill was emptied, cleaned, and locked up. Then what? Call Bonnie? Go straight to the boarding house? Matt rubbed his tired eyes and sighed. Sometimes he really missed the days when he had no idea what was going on.

* * *

When Caroline opened her eyes, she immediately knew that something was terribly wrong. She vaguely remembered Tyler, Matt, and the car accident. Had Elena been there? No, that didn't seem right. She tried to focus on the fragments floating through her mind, but they refused to clear, and her head began to pound as a result.

_Didn't they bring hurt people to the hospital anymore?_ she thought irritably. But she had to admit she didn't feel as bad as she had before. Caroline distinctly remembered a deep stabbing pain in her stomach and a severe difficulty breathing before her vision had gone black. All of that pain had gone, and even her headache was fading. Her heart was still beating uncomfortably fast, but she thought that was understandable given that she had no freaking clue where she was.

Raising her head, Caroline looked around, squinting in the darkness.

_This is a dream. I've got to be dreaming. Maybe I'm in a coma?_

She was in the Salvatore house. At night. Surrounded by her best friends, but also the Salvatore brothers.

_What the hell?_

She'd been through a lot of really weird (not to mention uncomfortable) situations the past six months, but she was pretty sure this was the weirdest. And why were the Salvatore brothers always involved? As she ran her eyes over Damon, she felt a sharp pain in her neck, and her shoulder, but it faded as soon as it appeared. She raised a hand to her neck, but there was nothing there.

At least Bonnie and Elena were there. But why? Nothing made sense, and she was really freaking out. Caroline began to look around in the crowded room for her purse. If anything, Matt would know what was going on. Maybe he had gone to the hospital with Tyler?

"Wow, I didn't expect you up for a little while more."

Caroline tried to muffle her scream as she whirled her body around. Her feet twisted over something on the ground and she fell in an uncoordinated pile on the ground with a thud. Her heart was pounding so hard she was pretty sure it was going to leap out of her chest.

"Who," Caroline cleared her throat and attempted to swallow the squeaking currently coming out of her mouth, "who are you?"

The girl standing in the doorway was tall, and beautiful, and definitely didn't look like a crazy kidnapper. But Damon hadn't looked like the worst boyfriend in the world either, and look where that had got her. Thinking of Damon brought to mind deep red eyes, a strong need to obey, and the smell of blood. They were lightning quick feelings, but Caroline's fear was skyrocketing nonetheless. She squinted at the girl, but she was holding a large candle that covered her face in more shadows than light.

"Lucy. Bonnie's cousin? I swear, we met at that party with Katherine. I've been here for like a week. You feeling okay?" The girl was slowly walking towards her and Caroline clenched her hands into the rug beneath her.

Caroline gulped. She didn't know any of Bonnie's family, so this girl could be telling the truth. But that just set off a whole 'nother chain of questions. If this girl had been here for a week, Bonnie definitely would have introduced them. She knew Bonnie had been a little weird lately; worrying all the time, especially about Elena, but she hadn't even mentioned family issues. Also, even drunk, Caroline was great with names and faces.

"Hey, it's okay. Clearly, something didn't quite go according to plan. Let me just wake Bonnie, 'kay?" the girl, Lucy, made her way the lump on the floor that was her cousin.

"Bonnie. Hey, Bonnie. Cuz. Wake up." Lucy had gently set the candle on the floor and was shaking Bonnie. Caroline almost told her to stop; Bonnie looked at peace for the first time in a long time. But it was too late.

"Wha? What? Lucy? Is everything okay?" Bonnie rubbed at her eyes, and despite her fear, Caroline smiled. They hadn't had a sleepover in ages. Elena was always up with sun, starting breakfast with her mom, but Bonnie and Caroline would snuggle for as long as possible. Caroline always needed to be dragged out of bed by her hair if she didn't have anywhere to be, but Bonnie would just rub her eyes and unfold her body as graceful as a cat, ready to start the day.

"Care," Bonnie whispered, looking straight at her. Before Caroline could untangle herself from the rug, Bonnie was pushing off her blanket and hurrying over to her. Caroline was surprised by the strength in Bonnie's hug, but she was quick to wrap her own arms around her friend.

"Bon, what's going on? Why are we here?"

Bonnie glanced at Lucy, her brow already furrowing. Lucy shrugged.

"Care… what's the last thing you remember?"

"Umm, we had been at the Founder's Day celebration. Tyler's dad said Tyler needed to leave. And to take Matt and I with him. He gave us his car… Something was wrong with Tyler. There was the car accident. I think there were paramedics, but I don't really know."

"Car accident…?" Bonnie murmured, with her arms still wrapped loosely around Caroline. She looked at Lucy, fear and worry etched into her face.

'What's wrong?' Lucy mouthed over Caroline's head.

Bonnie just shook her head slightly.

"Care, we have a lot to talk about. But I think we should try to wake the others first, okay?"

Caroline nodded, and Bonnie was relieved to see that she looked more frustrated and confused than afraid.

"I'm up," came a soft voice from the couch.

"Jeez, Elena," Caroline clutched at her heart dramatically. "You couldn't have let us know a little earlier?"

"Sorry," Elena responded just as quietly. Bonnie felt her heart sink into her stomach. Although Caroline seemed relatively okay, despite the memory loss and confusion, Elena sounded terrified.

"Hey, 'Lena," Bonnie called out, slowly walking over to her friend. She was hunched over on the couch, curled up in a blanket. "How are you feeling?"

As soon as she came close enough, Elena grabbed her hand. She immediately seemed to regret it and let go. "Bonnie," she whispered. "Bonnie, am I… am I in transition?"

"What? Elena, no. No, you're human," Bonnie was quick to respond. She kept the _'I hope'_ in her head.

"Oh," Elena seemed to completely deflate. "Thank God. I mean. I remember the bridge. And then water. A ton of water. I thought for sure Matt and I were going to – " Suddenly Elena's eyes popped open. "Matt. Ohmygod. Is Matt okay? I just assumed… I didn't even think – "

"Breathe, Elena, Matt's fine. He had to work late tonight. Don't worry."

"Work?" Elena questioned, just as Caroline interrupted.

"Okay, I know this kind of has the makings for a great sleepover, but I'm starving, and, no offense, Elena, but I would really rather be anywhere than close to the Salvatore brothers. Can we get out of here? Or better yet, can someone explain to me why we're here in the first place?"

Bonnie sighed again. She didn't know what she expected when they woke up, but this certainly wasn't it. Maybe some hugs, going out for some breakfast, watching as Elena and Caroline argued about how much it sucked now that they had to watch their weight again. She'd chime in that that was stupid; they were all so active they could live off of fast food and never gain a pound. They'd talk about clothes and jewelry and maybe even Prom. It would be normal.

This wasn't normal.

"Look, guys, we did a spell last night. It's complicated, and something obviously didn't work properly. But Stefan and Damon are a part of this, and they should be awake for this conversation." Maybe channeling a bit of her inner-Caroline would help her.

"A spell? Bonnie, I thought we were done with all that crazy witchy business. I mean – "

"Bonnie, what kind of spell? Was it something for Klaus? I thought that was taken care of – "

"Sorry to tell you, cuz, but I don't think these boys are waking up any time soon; they're – "

Desperately, Bonnie stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled. All three girls promptly closed their mouths, and Bonnie glanced back at the sleeping brothers for any change. Nothing.

"Lucy, what were you saying?"

Caroline crossed her arms at being ignored, but didn't say anything. Elena was making her way towards Stefan.

"I was saying that I don't think they're going to wake up."

"You mean…?" Bonnie trailed off. She very nearly hated Damon, and honestly could do without Stefan more often than not, but she hadn't meant to kill them.

"What? Oh no, no. They're not dead. I just mean they're really deep asleep. I've been nudging them since you woke up, and nothing. Maybe they're just sleeping off the effects of the spell?"

"Maybe," Bonnie murmured. "Hey, Elena, how long have you been awake?"

Elena looked up from brushing Stefan's hair out of his face. She was blushing. "Since before Caroline got up, actually. I was afraid that I was…" she shook her head, trying to rid her mind of her thoughts. "I was trying to take stock, I guess. See if anything was different. I didn't even notice Care was up until Lucy started talking to her, and then you got up…" She shrugged. "I didn't know how to announce that I was awake."

Bonnie nodded as Elena spoke, nose scrunched up as she thought through an idea.

"What are you thinking?" Lucy asked her.

"I think they _are_ sleeping off the spell. I think the spell… it didn't just change them back into humans. It erased every part of them that was a vampire. Including their memories. How long they sleep depends on how long they've been vampires. Elena was the shortest, so she woke up the first, then Caroline. The boys have an extra hundred and fifty years on both of them, so they'll probably be asleep for a while yet."

Caroline, who had given up on the weird conversation and was searching for her purse, snapped her head up.

"Bonnie, I'm not going to lie here. You're saying some really ridiculous things, about witches and spells and vampires, and I'm getting pretty convinced you might be drunker than I am. Do you need a ride home?"

"What makes you think you're drunk?" Bonnie shot back.

"Blacked out. Woke up someplace weird. You know how Tyler is. He was probably so excited to get out of the car crash that he broke out the booze. Then I probably texted you or Elena asking where you were, and ta-da! Here we all are." Caroline shrugged, and Bonnie wished it was daylight so she could read her friend's expression better. Caroline sounded fairly sure of herself, but after getting even closer the past year… Bonnie knew Caroline was a lot better at hiding her true feelings than people thought.

While Bonnie was attempting to analyze her friend, Elena was setting up the couch again and Lucy was finishing up clean up.

"Bonnie, why don't you head home with Caroline? I'll stay here and help the guys when they wake up," Lucy suggested.

"I'm staying too," piped up Elena.

"Elena, I don't think that's a good idea," Bonnie hesitated. She wanted to remind her friend about the fact that the boys wouldn't remember her, and her physical resemblance would do more harm than good, but Caroline had found her purse and was now observing them with a bored look on her face. Despite Caroline's nonchalant assumption about being drunk, Bonnie didn't want to risk freaking her out any more.

"I'm staying," Elena repeated. "I know, I know what you're thinking, Bon. About Katherine. But Stefan's always stayed by my side. And when he couldn't, Damon was there. I can't just leave them."

Bonnie sighed. She had never trusted Damon with Elena, and after Stefan's Ripper-side came out, she had just as many issues with him. But they were supposed to be human now. And Lucy was more than capable of incapacitating them, if necessary.

"Okay, okay. Care, can you drop me off at home?"

"Yeah, sure. Let's go."

Bonnie shot one last look at the living room. Elena was already settling back into the couch, and Lucy was making her own bed where Caroline had slept. It didn't feel right to be leaving them, but Bonnie knew that she had no choice. She followed Caroline out of the house and into her car. Hoping to avoid an interrogation from Caroline, Bonnie dug out her phone.

_7 missed calls_

_8 text messages_

_2 voicemails_

Bonnie winced. The calls were all from Matt and Jeremy, and she assumed the voicemails were too. The boys had both texted her that they didn't get out of work until very late, and as she wasn't answering her phone, they'd check in tomorrow.

The last text message was from a blocked number.

'Mr. Lockwood is free. He does not know of your assistance in this matter. You're welcome.'


	14. A Different Sort of Doppelgänger

**Disclaimer**: Don't own; don't sue.

**Spoilers**: All aired episodes, but nothing explicit from Season 4.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you to the wonderful **Fenmir** for being such a great beta.

Thank you to everyone for the reviews, follows, and favorites!

* * *

CHAPTER 14: A DIFFERENT SORT OF DOPPLEGÄNGER

Despite the fact that they were all sitting in the same room, Elena had never felt farther away from her friends.

Jeremy was at her shoulder, as if he was standing guard. But he was paying more attention to Bonnie, who was next to Lucy. But Bonnie was more concerned with Caroline, who was clinging to Matt, who in turn was trying to delicately untangle his hand from Caroline's, but wasn't having much success. He kept shooting looks at Bonnie and Jeremy for help, but they were at a loss as well.

Meanwhile, Damon and Stefan were very, very uncomfortable. After vampires, the idea of being in the future wasn't the most upsetting thing they could have learned. It was the idea of doppelgängers, and Elena, that had really captured Damon's attention. Stefan was already making good use of his "broody" face. Neither had spoken much, but the occasional stare she would get was already unnerving her.

"How do I know you're not all crazy? That this isn't the worst belated April Fool's prank ever thought of?"

Bonnie further spread out the pictures on the table. They were of events that had happened in the past year, including Caroline's "funeral" and the Mikaelson ball. She hadn't been able to find a lot of pictures; the various threats to their lives didn't exactly make for Kodak moments. But it was still evidence.

Caroline huffed and crossed her arms, letting go of Matt's hand. He immediately brought it to his chest and rubbed it, making it clear that Caroline's death grip had not been appreciated.

"I see events that I don't remember. So maybe I have amnesia, or a concussion, or something. What I don't get is why you seem to think that all this vampire and werewolf and witch business is real, too."

Elena tried to pay attention to Caroline's words, but this was an argument they'd been having for at least an hour. She had been at the Salvatore's for the past two days, and with Lucy running interference, both brothers seemed more willing to accept their place in the world now. It was rough going, but they hadn't put up nearly the argument Caroline was. Elena wasn't sure if it was a generational thing, or more of the pure shock. She was incredibly grateful for all the things Stefan and Damon had shared with her before; it made it even easier to convince them that she could be trusted. She just wanted Caroline to get with the picture too.

Finally, it seemed like Lucy had had enough.

"Look, Blondie – "

"Don't call me that," snapped Caroline.

"Fine. You want proof of the supernatural world? You want to see without a doubt that everything that goes bump in the night really exists? Fine," Lucy stood up quickly and begun to raise her hands.

"Lucy, no, this isn't the right way – "

"It's the only way we've got left, cuz."

With that, Lucy began channeling her powers. She'd been practicing a lot longer than Bonnie, but even Elena was surprised at the power Lucy exuded. Lucy twitched her fingers and quickly dropped the heavy curtains, dropping the room into darkness. Another small gesture and the fireplace suddenly filled with light and warmth. Lucy quickly called more candles into the room, all already lit. Caroline's mouth was open, and her hand was gripping Matt's once more. But Lucy wasn't done yet.

'We have no reason to lie to you,' she whispered into Caroline's mind. Normally, Lucy hated any sort of telepathic communication. But this was a special situation. 'Bonnie is trying her best here. Cut her some slack, okay?'

With that, Lucy released the energy she had been conducting. The curtains gently opened again, and all the fires died out.

Caroline looked from Bonnie to Lucy to Elena to Matt to Jeremy. She very obviously avoided the Salvatores.

"So," she started softly, raising a hand to her neck and resting it there. "Vampires and werewolves and witches?"

Elena breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

Caroline fell on her bed heavily.

"School's gonna suck tomorrow."

Bonnie grinned and laid down next to her. The sun was setting and she was seriously considering spending the night with Caroline. It had been hard enough to leave the boarding house (she thought that she would have had to drag Elena out by the hair, but Damon assuring them that, "We've gotten along quite nicely without any assistance before, Miss Bennett, Miss Gilbert," had weirded them out enough to leave without too much protest). She wasn't quite ready to be separated from her friends just yet.

Lucy had gone to Bonnie's house. She was packing up to leave. Bonnie hadn't wanted her cousin to go, but Lucy said she'd had enough of small towns. Bonnie didn't want to force her cousin to stay, but she did have a feeling her need to leave had more to do with Lucy's nomadic ways than any failing on her part. They promised to keep in touch.

"Did you keep a diary? I know that's how Elena and Stefan are going to get caught up. Well, if Stefan can find his, that is."

"A diary, Bon? I'm pretty sure I didn't magically become a nerd in the past year." Suddenly, Caroline sat up. "Ohmygod, is that possible? Can you use your witchy powers to turn me into a _nerd_?"

Bonnie couldn't help herself. She burst into laughter.

"Oh, stop it!" Caroline swatted at Bonnie's arm, falling back on the bed. "I'm new to this whole "magic" thing."

"I know, I know. But no, I don't think I can magic you into a nerd. I mean, I've never _tried_, but…"

"Don't even think about it."

Bonnie laughed again. It felt good. "Seriously, though, I know you might have some questions. I know we went over the basics earlier, but…"

"Yeah…" Caroline trailed off. "Kind of sucks about Matt and I. And it's _weird_ about Tyler. I mean, I guess he's hot, but he was always such an asshole!"

"Becoming a werewolf will do that you," Bonnie tried diplomatically. She didn't want to talk about Tyler. Or more accurately, how she'd betrayed him by putting Klaus in his body.

"And you," Caroline flipped on her side to look Bonnie in the eye. "You and baby Gilbert? Where did that come from?"

Bonnie smiled. "Honestly, I still don't know. Everything that happened… we all had to grow up so fast. And, I guess, I just finally let myself notice it."

Bonnie could tell Caroline wanted more, and hoped she didn't push it.

"Elena lost a lot of people," Caroline murmured suddenly.

"We all did," Bonnie replied, gripping Caroline's hand.

"I feel bad…" Caroline whispered. She looked down, and Bonnie saw tears begin to leak out of her eyes. "I feel bad that I don't feel worse. Like, Jenna was awesome. And Mr. Saltzman seemed cool. And obviously I really miss my dad. But… I don't remember them that well. Elena, Matt, you… you guys were fighting all these battles and I didn't even know what was going on. And the parts I was there for, I can't even remember. Everyone was fighting for their lives, their families' lives and I was… planning parties."

"Care. Care, don't do that. Even before you knew, you were there for me, for Elena, for Jeremy and Matt. You were the only semblance of normal a lot of us had. And you did a lot of amazing things as a vampire, but… Care, you _died_." Caroline opened her mouth to speak, but Bonnie kept going. "No, don't. All of you, it was like… death wasn't a big deal. No, that's not right. It was like you all thought being a vampire was no big deal." Bonnie was choking down her own tears at this point. "Yeah, you were still my friend. But… it wasn't going to last. We saw it time and time again, vampires lose their humanity. First it was drinking blood bags, which okay, doesn't necessarily hurt a person, but it's still not right. Then the compulsion. Literally robbing people of their own choices." So incensed at this point, Bonnie failed to notice the shudder that passed through Caroline. "Not to mention the physical strength and speed! It doesn't take long for vampires to lose everything that made them human. That made them good."

Bonnie took a deep breath. She was afraid to look at Caroline's face.

"I'm sorry you don't remember the past year. But I'm not sorry at the same time. Because the Caroline that was okay with compelling people, with killing them… that's not someone I could have stood by for much longer."

Bonnie released Caroline's hand and wiped at her face. Without making eye contact, she got off the bed to grab a tissue.

"What about Damon and Stefan?" Caroline asked behind her.

Bonnie's heart clenched in her chest, and her breath caught. "What about them?"

"Two guys from the 1860's suddenly stuck in the twenty-first century? That has disaster written all over it."

"I'm sure Elena will be willing to help them out."

"Yeah, if they stop trying to jump her bones 'cause she looks like this Katherine person."

"They moved past it before. They can do it again."

Caroline was silent. She had her bottom lip between her teeth, and Bonnie didn't know what to say to make Caroline feel better.

"Look, I know they're older than us. But they have no idea how to function in today's world. I can't help but feel that we need to take care of them." Bonnie opened her mouth to protest, but just as she had barreled on earlier, Caroline was determined to do the same. "But even though I know that that's the right thing to do… I don't want to do it. I… I was lying this morning, Bon. I mean, I didn't want to believe you about witches and vampires and all that, but… I've been having these flashes. Mostly of Damon, and, and his voice telling me to do all these things! Some weren't too bad, like planning parties, but… I don't know! I look at this room, and I can see him in my bed. Talking about Twilight! And telling me what to wear, and just, just being such a…" Caroline trailed off for a moment. "And the biting. The pain. God, Bonnie, I _remember_."

Bonnie's heart jammed in her throat. Earlier, Caroline hadn't said a word when they reviewed what Damon had first done when he had come into Mystic Falls. Bonnie's attention had been focused on the Salvatores, but they hadn't seemed phased by their supposed actions. Shocked, maybe a little overwhelmed, but it was clear they didn't feel guilty for actions they didn't think they had done. They'd flown through those events, and Caroline hadn't said a thing.

"And what you were saying, that it was because Damon was a vampire… it made too much sense. It made it all real. And I don't know what to do. I know that I can't forgive him. But even though my brain is telling me that the Damon who did all those things to me isn't the Damon at the boarding house right now, I just… I can't help him. I don't even want to be around him. When he was just a jerk, when I thought he just broke my heart… that was one thing. But knowing that he bit me, he made me lie, made me his puppet… God, I just want to throw up."

Bonnie ached to hug Caroline, but it felt like her feet were rooted to the floor. In all the time that Caroline had been a vampire, after all of Damon's misdeeds had come to light, they'd never had this conversation. Bonnie knew that Caroline had beat up Damon more than once, that he had saved her life in return, and although they weren't anything close to friends, they had settled into some sort of camaraderie in order to protect Elena. Watching those events eat away at Caroline made Bonnie want to set Damon on fire once and for all.

But Caroline was right. This was a different Damon they had on their hands.

What were they going to do?


	15. Not Like It Was

**Disclaimer**: Don't own; don't sue.

**Spoilers**: All aired episodes. Explicit spoilers for costuming in 4.19 "Pictures of You" – the prom dresses ONLY.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you, as usual, to **Fenmir**, for being such a fabulous beta.

Thank you as usual, for the lovely, lovely readers who are continuing to review, favorite, and follow. You bring a smile to my face.

* * *

CHAPTER 15: NOT LIKE IT WAS

"Umm, can I get a bandaid here?"

Liz kept her face determinedly stoic, but Meredith couldn't help snorting. Mr. and Ms. Jones both had matching "fish out of water" expressions, which was more than creepy, seeing as they were twins. Only Pastor Young looked perfectly at ease.

"Well, Liz, I'm sorry to have put you through this. Mr. Saltzman had seemed very confident, but with all the evidence, it does seem like we were mistaken."

"Glad to hear it, Pastor Young," Liz replied tightly.

The Joneses were shuffling their feet, clearly eager to get out of the hospital, but Pastor Young was pouring out a glass of water and didn't seem in any hurry to leave. He smiled when he handed the glass to Caroline, but she could see the sliver of fear in his eyes. Without breaking eye contact, she gulped down the entire contents.

"Seems the Council owes both you and your mom an apology, Caroline," Pastor Young said softly.

"No prob, Pastor. Can we go now?" Caroline hopped off the bed and started towards the door.

"I just need a quick word with your mom."

Clenching her teeth, Caroline tried to calm herself before responding. Her mom was well-trained and more than capable of passing any supernatural test. "'Course. I'll be outside, Mom."

As Caroline slouched down on the hard plastic chair in the lobby of the hospital, she couldn't help but peel off the gauze and tape Meredith had covered the puncture wound with, mildly grossed out. Had she really consumed the stuff as a vampire?_ Yuck_. Quickly, she put the gauze back in place.

She wondered how many others had to go through this whole "are you a vampire" testing process. Bonnie had mentioned the Council and their whole war against the supernatural, but Caroline wasn't supernatural (and couldn't ever remember being that way), so what did it matter to her? All of this just felt like a waste of time.

Soon enough her mom was walking out with Pastor Young, Mr. and Ms. Jones, and Meredith. Her mom had a pinched look on her face, and Meredith looked pretty pale.

_Great_, thought Caroline. _More good news_.

"What's wrong now?" she asked as soon as they were in the car.

"Pastor Young wants to go visit the Salvatore brothers."

"Oh."

"Oh? Caroline, based on what you and Bonnie told me, the Salvatore brothers have just been displaced from 1864. I can't exactly have the Pastor interrogating them!"

"Why not? I mean, they won't be able to answer any questions, and they can drink vervain and all that," Caroline shrugged.

Liz glanced at her daughter. "Caroline, I know your memory is missing a lot of things too, but it wouldn't hurt to be concerned about your friends."

"Friends? Um, sure Mom. I'm going to be real concerned about two _vampires_, one of whom fed on me. Yeah, right."

Liz clenched her jaw tightly. Caroline hoped she didn't crack a tooth. "If I had known…" she gritted out.

"Yeah, well. You know now."

"And if Damon was still a vampire, you know I'd be the first person driving a stake through his heart. But according to Bonnie – "

"It's like they never did those things. I know, Mom. So if Damon never helped you out, why do you feel like you need to protect them?"

Liz was silent. When Caroline looked over at her, there was a deep groove in Liz's forehead. "Because they're someone's kids. Stefan is only seventeen. Damon may be older, but the last thing they remember is living with their father. Now they're alone, in a foreign world, with people just itching to find someone to blame for all the things that have happened. I don't know human Damon or Stefan, but as a mother and as the Sheriff, it's my duty to protect them. Even if it's from Pastor Young and the Council."

Caroline wanted to snort at her mom's ridiculous belief in the position of the Sheriff. But she knew that Liz was making an effort here, and it wouldn't do to just shut her down.

"Okay, Mom. You go protect the Salvatore's. I need to finish Prom planning."

* * *

"Seriously, Elena, I already have five dresses, and you're still not here. Do you want to get a Prom dress or not?" Caroline jabbed the "End Call" button viciously, missing the days when she could snap her phone shut with attitude. Bonnie snorted next to her, her own (smaller) pile of dresses clutched in her hand.

"She probably got distracted showing Stefan and Damon how a car works," Bonnie said reassuringly.

"She's bringing them?" Caroline hissed back. Elena had been back at the Salvatore house every day this week after school, introducing the boys to the twenty-first century. Bonnie didn't seem to mind and had even gone over a few times herself. Meanwhile, Caroline was oversaturated with Mom-time (with Pastor Young in charge of the Council, her mom had way less to do) and seriously lacking some girl time. She hadn't thought dress-shopping would become a Salvatore-teaching opportunity (like everything else had).

"Yeah. I think they're just going to explore the town. Elena's getting worried that they're beginning to think everything on TV is real, so she wanted to get them out."

"Whatever," Caroline hissed. All she knew was that Damon better not say a single thing about her dress choices.

Three hours later, the girls had just about picked out their dresses. Bonnie had almost immediately fallen in love with a deep blue floor length dress, ruffled with a sweetheart cut. Elena had found a dress at the same store, a gorgeous red and magenta number that flowed outwards. She had been hesitant, as she thought it had been too bold of a color, but one sharp reminder from Caroline that this was their last school dance ever had Elena handing over her credit card.

Naturally, it was Caroline who was taking the longest. They were on their fifth boutique and Bonnie and Elena were enjoying resting their feet and chatting as Caroline continued to try on dresses.

"It is weird, I'm not going to lie. I thought I knew what to expect, after all the things Damon and Stefan had told me… but I definitely didn't expect them to be so polite!" Though she had separated from them hours ago, Elena's favorite topic of conversation was still the Salvatore brothers.

Bonnie was nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I know what you mean. They do seem like entirely different people sometimes." Bonnie paused. "Have they been better with you? Or do they still think you're Katherine?"

Elena sighed. "I think they're trying. It helps that I'm nothing like her. Sometimes Damon will try to flirt, or Stefan will get this weird look in their eyes. But they're pretty good with the name thing. I don't know, I guess it'll be a work in progress." Elena sighed again when she saw Bonnie's expression. "Out with it, Bon. I know you're dying to ask something."

Before Bonnie could speak, Caroline stepped out of the dressing room.

"Well?" she prompted.

"It's gorgeous," Bonnie answered.

"The beading isn't too much?" Caroline ran her hand lightly over the bodice. "It's kind of intense. I mean, its Prom, so duh, but still, I mean – "

"Care, it's perfect. You should get it," Elena encouraged.

"I don't know…" Caroline bit her lip. "White, even off-whites and beiges, should be for weddings. And I mean, I'd love for Matt to open his eyes and realize this break is stupid, but I don't want to scare him."

Elena grinned. "It's our last school dance _ever_, remember?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and turned back to the dressing room. Elena looked back at Bonnie and waited for her to continue their conversation.

"Okay, if this is out of bounds, just let me know. But… they were in love with Katherine. Both of them. And you… right before Wickery Bridge, things were kind of intense between the three of you."

Elena looked down at her lap and tugged on her jeans. "Yeah, it was. And the thing is, I remember picking Stefan. I don't know if I said it, but Stefan… no matter what I feel, or felt, for Damon, I never stopped loving Stefan. Not for a second, and – "

"Wait, what? What do you mean, felt for Damon? _Damon_? Seriously?" Caroline had finished changing and was staring at Elena in shock, with anger close behind.

"Caroline, you have to understand – "

"No! I don't have to understand anything! Elena, he used me! He fed from me, and hurt me, and made me do whatever he wanted! And you, you just forgave him? What, did you jump in bed with him too?"

"What, like how you did?" Elena's eyes widened as soon as she said it. "Oh god, Caroline. That's not, that's not what I meant at all. I'm sorry, I – " Elena jumped off the chair and went to grab Caroline's arm, but Caroline was already pushing past her.

"No, Elena. God. I don't know what happened in the past year. But I'm starting to wonder how we ever stayed friends. Siding with my – with that – with _Damon_? Even after all the things he had done? That's beyond breaking the girl code, Elena."

Caroline dumped the dress on the counter, rapping her nails on the glass to get the girl's attention.

Elena and Bonnie were silent at Caroline's shoulder. As soon as all three had stepped out of the shop, Elena and Bonnie began speaking.

"Caroline, I don't approve or accept what Damon did to you – "

"You don't remember when Stefan went all Ripper on us, it was – "

" – it was Elena's decision and you know that you can't – "

" – he was there for me, and he really began to open up – "

" – things aren't like that, so why even argue about it now – "

" – hurts the ones he cares about, he doesn't know how – "

"Did he ever apologize to me?" Caroline cut in.

Both girls stared at her. "What?" Elena finally asked.

"Did. Damon. Ever. Apologize. For. What. He. Did. To. Me." Caroline spat out.

"I… I don't know. I don't think so," Elena answered softly.

"That's a no, then. No, Damon never said sorry for how he… for what he did." Caroline said angrily. "He never said sorry, so how do you know he even feels bad? Or cares at all? And I don't care that the Damon here and now isn't the one who did those things," she directed to Bonnie, before turning back to Elena. "You trusted him, you had feelings for him, despite _knowing_ that he was capable of pure evil. And now, you're just giving him a second chance? That person who did those things… he's still capable of it. He just hasn't been given enough time."

Elena's mouth was open in shock, and Bonnie was at a loss for words as well.

Caroline's eyes were hard, her mouth pressed in a thin line. All she could feel was the anger flooding her veins, her heart pounding heavily. She ignored that some of what she was feeling stemmed from fear, and not anger. Damon Salvatore had swooped into her life and almost ended it, smiling the whole time. It didn't matter that he was human now. What new ways would he invent to hurt her again?

Biting her tongue to stop the tears that desperately wanted to escape, Caroline turned sharply on her heel and walked towards her car, refusing to look back at her best friends.


	16. Second Fiddles

**Disclaimer**: Don't own; don't sue.

**Spoilers**: All aired episodes, but nothing explicit from Season 4.

**Author's Notes**: All the thanks to **Fenmir**, the best beta.

Thank you to all who are still reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting. If you are curious as to what stage of the next chapter I'm at, please see my profile.

* * *

CHAPTER 16: SECOND FIDDLES

Jeremy squinted desperately, his hands clenched almost uncomfortably tight. He was down to his last available weapon, and his enemy would give him no mercy. _This wasn't fair_, he thought angrily. How did he always end up in these situations? His plan had been near perfect, but had fallen apart within seconds. His allies lay dead behind him, but he had no time to grieve or rage at their passing. Knowing that this was the last ditch effort of a dying man, he hefted his gun and started shooting.

Within moments, he was dead.

"Damn it!" Jeremy shouted, tossing down his controller. "I'm never getting past this room. Ever. This sucks."

Matt laughed around a mouthful of popcorn. "Dude, I told you I'd take point, but nooooo, Baby Gilbert's gotta do it all on his own. Punk."

Jeremy leaned over and punched Matt in the arm, grabbing the bowl of popcorn with his other hand. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, clicking through the intro screens to get back to his save point.

Matt snorted and stood up to grab a soda. Stopping suddenly, he held a hand up to Jeremy, who wasn't paying any attention. "Hey, pause the game for a sec, would you?"

"What is it?"

"Is… is someone knocking?"

"Who the hell still knocks to get into this house?" Jeremy grumbled. Even before Bonnie did the human spell, all the vampires in their lives who weren't currently trying to kill them (and even a few who were), had invitations to the house. Jeremy couldn't remember a time when random people weren't using his house as a safe zone or meeting place.

Matt was already opening the door, revealing the irritated face of Bonnie Bennett.

"Hey, Bon," Jeremy called from the couch, already focusing back on his game.

"How long were you waiting?" Matt asked as they went into the kitchen. The sound of gunfire and Jeremy's own yelling was making the living room a bit of a war zone.

"Not that long," Bonnie admitted.

"What's wrong?" Matt asked, tossing her a soda and settling down at the counter.

Bonnie gave him a wry grin. "What makes you think something is wrong?"

Matt looked at her, disbelief in his face.

"Fine, fine," Bonnie replied, sighing again. "Nothing's wrong, really. But…" she paused. "Is Elena home?"

"Nope," Matt replied, gesturing to Jeremy. "Hence my "babysitting"," Matt grinned.

"I heard that!" Jeremy shouted from the living room. "You suck at babysitting!"

"You suck at video games!" Matt yelled back. Jeremy grunted in response. Turning back to Bonnie, he said, "She's with Stefan. And Damon, I guess. Showing them the miracle that is the twenty-first century."

"Oh," Bonnie said quietly. Matt continued to look at her curiously, waiting for her to speak.

"I'm glad she's helping them," Bonnie stated. Matt raised an eyebrow and kept waiting. "It's just… this isn't how things are meant to be. This spell, it was meant to free us. All of us. I just, I didn't think the Salvatores would still be causing problems for us." Bonnie sighed again, sipping at her drink. Matt was patient, a skill he had developed quite well over the last year and a half.

"I just want things to be easy again," she murmured.

Matt snorted, and Bonnie's head shot up in surprise. "Bonnie, when has anything ever been easy?" Her eyes flashed, and he held his hands up in defense. "Look, I know we all think of the time before Stefan popped up, before Elena's parents died, as the golden age. But it wasn't really. You both had issues with Caroline like all the time, and I thought Elena and I were gonna get married which was clearly delusional, and Tyler was a grade A prick," Matt shook his head. "I know Elena thinks Damon and Stefan are kicked puppies, and she wants to save them the way she thinks they saved her. And hell, maybe she can do that. But that's her choice. At least this choice doesn't involve her signing away her life. That's a lot better than how things were a few months ago."

"Yeah…" Bonnie said.

"Bonnie…" Matt encouraged.

"Well, it doesn't sound important now that you brought up how things were," Bonnie grumbled.

"Isn't that what you wanted, though? For things to be normal? Bitching about your friends is as normal as things get."

Bonnie took a deep breath and blew it out in a gust. "Caroline and Elena are fighting because Elena spends all her time with the Salvatores and Caroline wants nothing to do with them 'cause of how much of a dick Damon was to her, and I'm really tired of being in the middle of things." Bonnie winced at the torrent of words that escaped from her, clutching her soda can. "I mean, I get where Caroline is coming from, and for her, these things just happened. But for Elena, and the rest of us, it was over a year ago. And Damon is practically a whole different person now. Have you seen him?"

"Uhh, no." Matt raised his eyebrow. What reason would he have to visit the Salvatores?

"Well, he's like… polite now. And he's still Damon, and he still gives people shit, especially Stefan. But… he's curious, and willing to listen. It's weird."

"Don't tell me you've got a crush on him," Jeremy said behind her.

Bonnie barely stopped herself from jumping. "No, of course not. It's just hard, understanding both where Caroline and Elena, and maybe even Damon, are coming from, and trying to keep the peace between everyone."

"Then don't," Jeremy said calmly, as if this was a simple decision.

Bonnie gaped at him. "Um, yeah, except for the fact that my two best friends aren't talking to each other, and Prom is next week and Elena's planning on bringing both brothers," Bonnie heard Matt choke on his drink, but ignored it, "and Caroline won't even make eye contact with Elena!"

Jeremy snorted. Bonnie thought that he and Matt were sounding way too alike, and just might be spending too much time with each other. "So? That's not your problem."

"Jeremy!"

"No, listen, Bon. Elena… she's got this huge heart. And that's great about her. But she's gotta learn, you can't save everyone. This thing she's doing with Stefan and Damon, it's stupid. She thinks if she can get to them now, they'll never turn out like the people she knew, but she also _wants_ them to be those people, 'cause they're the ones she loves." He shrugged. "So she's throwing herself at them, but she's gonna figure out that either they're different from before, and that she's gonna have to deal with that, or they're the same, in which case they're both going to fall in love with her and she's going to have to deal with that too. No matter what, it's still her problem, and she's bringing that upon herself."

"Jeremy…" Bonnie trailed off.

"Don't get me wrong, I love my sister. I will do anything for her. Including letting her make her own mistakes. As far as Caroline… Seriously, you're worried about that? How many times have you had to play peace-keeper between those two? That's just another thing they've got to work out on their own."

Jeremy took a sip from his soda, completely unbothered by the open mouths of Bonnie and Matt.

"Okay, oh wise one, any other advice for us?" Matt joked.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "No, but actually, Bonnie, I have a question. I don't really care, but are we just gonna ignore that all of them are missing chunks of their memories? Like, I think they'll survive, but isn't anyone freaking out about it?"

Bonnie sighed. "Caroline is still too freaked out about the whole vampire thing to want those memories back. She might want them later, but for now, she wants nothing to do with anything supernatural. Stefan still can't find his diaries, but based on what Elena's been telling him, I think he doesn't want it. With all those Ripper episodes…" she shook his head. "I think he's washing himself clean of all of it. Damon's keeping everything close to the chest. He still asks questions, but I can't really tell. He mostly just wants to know about Katherine." Bonnie winced. "Elena hasn't been very successful in convincing him that she's better left alone. He still loves her, I think."

"And Elena?" Matt asked.

"She hasn't said much to me. I think she's pretending it never happened. It was just a few weeks of being a vampire, and she never wanted that anyway."

"So… are you going to keep practicing magic?"

"Jeremy," Matt swatted his friend's arm. "That's personal."

Bonnie gave them a small smile. "No, it's okay. Honestly, I don't know. My magic's never really brought us anything good, and so many times I feel like it just makes me a target. But it's a part of me, you know? Having Lucy here was a big help. She's made her share of mistakes with magic too, so she gets it; the guilt and the fear. I think I might meet up with her after graduation or something."

"Sounds good," Matt nodded.

"What mistakes, Bonnie?"

"Hmmm?" she replied calmly, but a cold sweat was breaking out on her neck.

"Bonnie… what mistakes have you made with your magic that make you feel guilty?"

"Jeremy, what's with you? Jeez."

"No, Matt. Bonnie, you know we're always going to be there for you. But something's been bothering me since Klaus died. 'Cause, they _all_ should have died. Tyler, Caroline, Damon, Stefan, every damn vampire we knew should have been dead as soon as Alaric staked him. But they didn't. They all lived, and then Tyler started acting like he used to, all macho-man and pissy, then takes off without Caroline. These things aren't adding up."

"Jeremy, what the hell, man? How can you say that to her? We should be happy nobody died when Klaus did. Obviously he wasn't their sire or whatever, I mean – "

"No, Matt," Bonnie whispered. "Jeremy's right. I did something."

"Tell us," Jeremy prompted.

"You have to understand," Bonnie said fiercely, determined despite her guilt. "I couldn't let everyone die. I couldn't let my _mom_ die. So I didn't." She sighed and took a deep breath. "I put Klaus into Tyler's body."

"What?"

"Holy shit!"

"I know, I know," Bonnie groaned, dropping her head. "I know it was stupid, but we were running out of time. Alaric was on his way, and there was no way to stop him. I thought putting Klaus in Tyler would buy us some time. And then, Elena _died_, and Klaus threatened to kill Tyler and everyone else if I said something. I barely had enough power to put him in Tyler; I had no idea how to put him in a different person. Then, he just up and left."

"So, Klaus is running around in Tyler's body, doing god knows what? Oh god, does he have Elena's blood?"

Bonnie winced. "I think he does have Elena's blood. But he's not in Tyler anymore."

"What?" both boys demanded.

"The night of the human spell, I got a text from a blocked number. It said that Tyler is free, and doesn't remember anything."

All three of them sat in silence for a moment.

"Who knows?" Matt asked.

"Just you two," Bonnie sighed sadly. "It's not like I could tell Caroline; she would have been heart-broken. And Elena was dealing with transitioning…" she looked at the two boys, blinking back tears. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know what else to do."

"Whoa," Matt murmured. "What are we going to do?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I don't think Klaus will come back. He thinks his body burned, so he's probably just going to make as many hybrids as he can. I can make some protective amulets, so at least he won't be able to find us if we ever leave this town, but… I've tried some locator spells, and I can't find him."

"What about Tyler?"

"I don't know. I don't know where he is, or how to contact him. He's just gone."

"So that's it," Matt asked, unable to keep the frustration out of his voice, hands fisted on the counter. "We move heaven and earth for the Salvatore brothers, but for Tyler, we're just going to give up?"

"Matt, it's not like that. If I could do anything, I would. I hate what I did to him. I hate that I can't tell him I'm sorry." Bonnie's voice broke on the last word. How many apologies would be enough?

Matt deflated. "No, Bonnie. I get it, I do. It just… sucks, is all."

"Do we tell the others?" Jeremy asked.

"I don't know," Bonnie said helplessly. "Caroline, Damon, and Stefan don't even know who Klaus is. And Elena… what good would it do to have her worry that Klaus might come for her, again?"

"We'll burn that bridge when we come to it?" Matt guessed.

Bonnie nodded, then opened her mouth to speak and closed it just as quickly. Finally, she decided to just say it. "So, Jeremy, do you want to go to Prom next week?"


	17. The Best Night Of Your Life

**Disclaimer**: Don't own; don't sue.

**Spoilers**: All aired episodes. Explicit spoilers from "Pictures of You", episode 4.19. These spoilers have nothing to do with the _plot_ of the episode, simply the environment (how prom is set up). However, if you have not seen the episode, please tread carefully.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you to **Fenmir**, for always knowing what to say.

Extra long chapter because I just could. not. stop. I will love you extra if you let me know which character sections you liked best/didn't like!

Thank you as usual for the amazing reviews, as well as to those who are viewing, following, and favoriting.

* * *

CHAPTER 17: THE BEST NIGHT OF YOUR LIFE

If Damon had learned anything from the constant lessons Elena gave, it was that the more things changed, the more they stayed the same. Technology was beyond what he could imagine, and poor Stefan was still reeling from the amount of information available to him, but convenience was still the driving force. Food was different, but the same tastes could be found among the restaurants they visited. And of course, no matter how the dresses and the music changed, Mystic Falls was still obsessed with formal dances.

He hadn't understood it in 1864, and he didn't much understand it now. He supposed some people simply yearned to show off their wealth and beauty while it lasted. Of course, for him, that was never supposed to be a concern. He was meant to be young and beautiful forever. But not now. Not anymore. Truthfully, it didn't bother him as much as he felt it should have. Vampirism had been intriguing and dangerous, and the idea of having such power for eternity was certainly something he desired.

But the stories Elena shared… the truths she spoke. It had been horrifying, to say the least. Damon had never been the gentleman his father desired, but he certainly hadn't been the monster in Elena's stories. She seemed to blame Katherine, but he thought that Elena's animosity stemmed from her inability to measure up to his love. Katherine had a power, a presence, that Elena lacked. Certainly, Elena cared. She cared more than any one Damon had ever met, even counting medics in the war who had patched anyone they could reach, no matter their allegiances. And her beauty was similar, of course. But Katherine glowed with strength, with life. Elena seemed almost afraid to live. She spent a great deal of time with them, teaching them about her world and answering any questions they might have, and yes, he could see how he might have fallen in love with her in time, had he been truly abandoned by Katherine.

But he hadn't been. He knew the story Elena told; how Katherine had fled and faked her death. He had never dreamed of anyone or anything more powerful than his love, but it seemed there had been. Klaus had engendered such a powerful fear in Katherine, of course she chose her life over him. He could not fault her that. But Elena had also informed him that Klaus was no longer a concern. Therefore, his Katherine could stop running. If only he could find her, they could be together once more. He admitted that Katherine's… fascination with his brother had been deeper than he had assumed. But now that Stefan had been made aware of the actions Katherine had taken, he seemed much less interested in her lifestyle. It was an attitude Damon encouraged in his younger brother.

Brushing a hand to smooth out his tuxedo, cut to these modern standards, he knew that he cared not a whit for agelessness. But for love, oh, he would do anything for love.

* * *

Caroline fiddled with her hair. It was pulled up and to the side, in a wrap-a-round braid. She had put in tiny pearls that matched perfectly with her simple earrings and necklace.

"You look hot," Bonnie said behind her.

Turning around gracefully, Caroline curtseyed and smiled, before going over to hug her friend. "I thought you were going to meet up with Jeremy? I didn't expect to see you until we got to the gym."

Bonnie shrugged. "You know the boys. They're still getting ready. So we decided to switch dates; I'm going to bring you, and Matt will bring Jeremy."

Caroline smiled widely. "You look beautiful, Bonnie." She hoped Bonnie heard what she was trying to say, _I'm sorry for being such a bitch and making your life harder than it needs to be_.

Bonnie smiled, eyes soft, and Caroline knew she was lucky to have her in her life. She could understand the desperation her older self had felt when their friendship had cracked.

Without another word, the girls linked arms and left the house.

* * *

Stefan had prepared for this. He had researched using the television set and the computer, being especially careful to observe the behaviors of the men in the television shows. Elena joked that the sun couldn't hurt him anymore, but he found the television a much gentler introduction to modern times. Determined to give Elena that "prom" she desired, he tried desperately to remember his last dance of this nature, but every time he thought of it the vision of Katherine would overwhelm his mind. It was like she was suddenly standing next to him; it was even more confusing that her identical twin was, indeed, standing immediately to his left.

Elena… was more than words could express. She fascinated him, much in the way that Katherine did, but for completely different reasons. When she first told him of Katherine's true nature, of her deceit and manipulations, he could not deny that he had been outraged on behalf on his firecracker love. But he could not deny that outrage quickly gave way to a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that screamed at him to see the truth. He could not recall the things Katherine had compelled of him, but the truth that she had forced her own blood on him, and therefore vampirism, made him doubt everything. If she had not cared that he have a say in whether he lived or died… He had thought he had loved Katherine with everything he had, but all he had now were doubts. And Elena.

Elena, so sweet and caring and kind, who looked at him with the saddest eyes he had ever seen. She looked at him the way his father would look at pictures of his long dead mother; equal parts love and pain. Stefan had no idea how to interact with this girl who had loved him so dearly, one hundred and fifty years in his future.

As he observed Elena, wishing desperately for gloves to hide his sweaty palms, he saw his brother rake his eyes over the crowd of teenagers in front of him. Damon had protested coming to this Prom, claiming his age and his sheer lack of interest in such affairs, but Elena was convinced that both brothers needed as much socialization with other people as possible. She worried, she told them.

Stefan could not read the expression on Damon's face. A stranger would assume it was simply a man interested in the women in front of him, but Stefan knew better. Though Damon had tried not to speak of it, Stefan knew that Katherine still held Damon's heart in a vise. Nothing, not the new technology, the strange modern world, or even the brightly dressed women could sway Damon's attentions from _her_.

"Bonnie!" he heard Elena call out, tugging on his arm. _Thank heavens_, he thought, discreetly wiping his hands against his pants. The only way he was going to survive this evening was sticking close to both girls.

* * *

Elena stepped away from the boys to hug Bonnie close to her. Despite her concern at both Salvatore's silence, she couldn't help but feel happy to be here. Prom was something she, Bonnie, and Caroline had discussed since they were freshmen. The decorations, the ambience, the theme… all of it was magical. All she needed was her best friends by her side, and the night would be perfect. She ignored the tugging at her heart that reminded her of everyone she lost; how Alaric should be brooding in the corner, how her parents and Jenna should be drinking at home, reminiscing about how fast she and Jeremy had grown. She pushed all of that down, determined to enjoy the night for what it was.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, Bonnie," she murmured. Stefan and Damon were quick to agree.

"Thanks," Bonnie grinned.

"Where's… everyone?" Elena asked, with a little hesitation.

"Caroline is putting her stuff down at the table; the boys still aren't here yet."

"Oh," Elena said softly. She could feel Stefan's eyes on her, but didn't want to elaborate. She hadn't told either brother of the fight she'd had about her feelings for Damon; how could she?

Bonnie held her hand lightly but didn't speak.

"That's Matthew, isn't it?" Damon called out, pointing towards the doors. Stefan and Damon only really knew Elena and Bonnie, and Elena wanted to change that. Matt had never gotten along with Damon before, but that didn't mean it had to stay that way.

* * *

Within minutes, Matt and Jeremy were coming up with them. Jeremy had grabbed Caroline and was pulling her along as well. After a few quick hello's, an awkward silence fell.

"Everything looks amazing, Care," Elena said.

"Thanks," Caroline replied tightly. She and Elena hadn't spoken since prom dress shopping, and she certainly wasn't going to apologize first.

With a big grin, Matt extended a hand out to Bonnie, who giggled and took it. Stefan tugged on Elena's hand, and they also began to move towards the dance floor. Jeremy saw a few friends in his year, and drifted off to speak to them.

Caroline sighed and shifted from foot to foot. She had already noticed that the lanterns outside hadn't provided nearly the amount of light she had originally thought they would. Inside seemed better; the fairy lights instead of balloons were so much classier than any decade dance. The red highlights were a bit much, but it was balanced fairly well with the white backgrounds and where the hell had Bonnie gone? And Jeremy? And everyone else besides Damon Salvatore?

_Damn it_, she thought harshly. Just as she opened her mouth to make a quick getaway, maybe to harass that junior who was handling the voting booth, Damon held his hand out to her.

"Miss Forbes, right?" he smiled at her. It threw Caroline for a loop, that smile. It wasn't like anything she remembered. It wasn't the smirk, the saucy, seductive grin, the sarcastic twisting of his lips… it was just a smile, genuine.

"Umm, yeah," she muttered, realizing she had been gaping at him for more than few seconds.

"May I have this dance, Miss Forbes?"

Caroline was pretty sure her mouth was hanging open terribly unattractively. All the time she had known Damon, and she was pretty sure they'd never actually danced together. And if they had, she was sure he had never asked so nicely.

"Have I over-stepped my bounds, Miss Forbes? Miss Bennett and Elena had implied that we were… friends."

Heaven help her, but Damon Salvatore actually looked… disappointed? As if he truly did want to dance with her, and just that. Just a dance.

"No, I'm…" Caroline stopped. She was _not_ going to apologize to him. But damn her, she really wanted him to stop making that sad face! She sighed and took his hand. "Just a dance?"

"Yes," his brow furrowed, as if confused. "Unless there is more that you would like?" And there it was, the flirting. The flirting she could handle. Kind of.

"Just a dance," she gritted out.

* * *

"Thanks," Bonnie whispered to Matt, resting her head on his shoulder, despite the fact that it wasn't a slow song.

"No problem."

"Seriously, Matt, I don't know what I would do without you."

"So you're feeling better, then?"

"Yeah. Sometimes I forget how wise Jeremy can be."

"He worries about you, you know?"

"Hmm?" Bonnie looked up at Matt, still swaying to their own beat.

"I mean, we all worry. About everyone, Elena, Care, sometimes even those guys," Matt jerked a thumb towards Stefan and Damon. "But Jeremy, he _really_ worries about you."

"Matt…"

"Don't worry about it, Bon. Just letting you know. That option is there, if you want to take it."

Bonnie grinned. "And does Jeremy know you're pimping him out?"

Matt shrugged. "I'm just looking out for the kid."

Bonnie smiled and hugged him. "Don't ever change, Matt, okay?"

Matt snorted. "Thanks, Bon."

* * *

"Thank you for this, Elena." Stefan murmured. They had followed Matt and Bonnie's lead and were also slowly swaying to the music, despite the fast pace and energetic movement of the other students.

Elena smiled, but Stefan could still see that it failed to reach her eyes, to bring out the sparkle and joy he knew she was capable of.

"I mean it. You didn't have to teach us about this world, and you definitely didn't have to remain our friends. Especially after all the pain my brother and I have brought you."

Elena shook her head. "Stefan, stop thinking that way. I would have been dead a few times over without you two. Even if you don't remember it, you and Damon helped me through some incredibly difficult times."

"We can leave, you know."

"What?" Elena's grip tightened on his biceps, and she stopped swaying.

"No, no," Stefan rushed to assure her. "I didn't mean… I just thought that, we could get out of your life. Damon and I. We've got more money than we know what to do with, and I think Damon actually has some property in Italy. I just thought, if you wanted your life back, to do whatever you wanted to do, we could leave."

"Stefan… when have I ever hinted that I wanted you to leave?"

Stefan looked away. "You haven't. But… Elena, you're with us all the time. Even if I could ignore all the pain we've caused, I know that this isn't how your life should be. You shouldn't have to be babysitting two grown men. You should be hanging out with your friends. And – "

"Stefan, you are my friends. And what's with all the "should"s?"

He blushed and couldn't meet Elena's eyes. "I just… I don't want to be your biggest regret." He could see it in his mind's eye, how Elena would age and look back and think only of all the sacrifices she had made to stand by his side. She would come to hate him, and that thought hurt more than he could understand.

Elena couldn't help but snorting. "My biggest _regret_? Stefan, I think it's time we slowed down your television viewing."

"_One Tree Hill_ is transcendental," Stefan replied solemnly. Elena began laughing, and Stefan allowed a small smile to break through. He hadn't been exaggerating when he said that he would leave. But hearing Elena laugh was enough for now.

* * *

"Miss Forbes, you dance impeccably," Damon said as they waltzed across the floor. Damon was more than confident in his own dancing ability, even taking into account the grinding and writhing motions that seemed to count for dancing in this century. But it did not seem right to simply sway side by side like his brother and Elena were content to do. So he had immediately stepped into a half-time waltz, just in case Caroline wasn't as adept as women in the 1860's would have been. Of course, with a fierce glare, Caroline placed her hands in perfect dance position, never missing a step. He had been shamed accordingly and immediately brought their pace up to speed.

"Thank you," she said stiffly.

"Elena had mentioned that you were Miss Mystic Falls, but I hadn't been sure of how the standards might have fallen since the actual Founding." Damon hid a wince as Caroline dug her nails into his shoulder. "Clearly, I was mistaken."

"If I may ask, why haven't you been to visit with Elena and Miss Bennett? I understand why Matthew and Jeremy have not come by; it is more than apparent that have given up on my brother and I. It is of no issue; Stefan and I never did have much luck making friends with the other menfolk in our town."

Caroline's eyes had gotten progressively narrower with each word he spoke, but Damon hadn't noticed.

"There is so much wrong with what you just said I don't even know where to start."

Damon raised an eyebrow, but Caroline kept speaking.

"First of all, you have no right to accuse Matt and Jeremy of anything. You ruined their _lives_, and they're doing the smart thing by staying away from you. Second, if I could do it, I'd make sure Elena and Bonnie never spoke to _either_ of you ever again. I don't care that you don't remember what you did. You still did enough horrible things to last _every_ lifetime you live. You already had your chance here. With me. I'm not making the same mistakes again."

With that, Caroline released the painful grip she'd had on his arms, curtseyed, and walked away.

Damon was in shock. Not many had spoken to him with such fervor, such passion. None had felt so passionately about him and the choices he made.

Well. No one but Katherine.

* * *

Twelve songs later, Caroline fell in an exhausted heap on the chair next to Bonnie. Bonnie had already pulled off her heels and was massaging her feet. After her first dance with Matt, Bonnie had danced pretty much exclusively with Jeremy. Caroline and Matt had managed to pull Elena from the Salvatores and get a couple of dances with her. At Elena's surprised look, Caroline just shrugged and hugged her tight. Yeah, she was still upset with Elena, and wasn't even thinking of apologizing, but this was Prom! She was going to make the best memories if it killed her.

"May I have your attention please?" a junior wearing too much lipstick was at the microphone.

Caroline's eyebrows shot to her hairline. She had almost forgotten about Prom king and queen. She figured her future self must have been crazy distracted, because she had barely campaigned at all. Despite a fierce hope in her heart, she didn't have much hope of actually winning.

"Are you all having a good time?" The expected cheers only made Caroline scowl. They all knew what the girl was meant to announce, why didn't they just get on with it already?

"I'm glad to hear it. After furiously counting your ballots, I have here in my hands the winner of this year's Prom King and Queen!"

More cheering. Someone better not have spiked the punch at _her_ Prom.

"Mystic Falls High, please give a warm welcome to your Prom King and Queen, Matt Donovan and Bonnie Bennett!"

"_What_?" Bonnie's shriek was drowned out by the huge swell of cheering.

"Get up there!" Caroline hissed, a huge smile on her face.

"But – " Bonnie looked around frantically. "My shoes!"

"Go without!" Caroline laughed. "You're the Queen!"

Bonnie smiled at her, a huge, bright smile with all her teeth showing, and pulled up the edges of her dress and made her way to the stage. Matt met her there and picked her up and swung her around, and Caroline laughed with them from her seat. She realized that she was far happier that Bonnie and Matt had won than herself. Sure, her heart still tugged a little uncomfortably at the sight of her recently ex-boyfriend so happy without her, but it felt right. It felt good to see the both of them so happy.

"You look way too happy to be runner-up, Miss Mystic Falls."

Caroline snorted. "Are you just jealous 'cause you weren't even in the running?"

Jeremy laughed. "Nah, I'm not one for crowns."

Caroline laughed and held her fingers up in a square, squinting at Jeremy. "You never know. I think you might look good in one. Maybe next year?"

"If I even show up."

"Aww, I know you're used to Forbes-planned events, but I think there are some pretty good control freaks in your class too," Caroline grinned.

"Nah, these dances aren't really my thing. I only came 'cause of…"

"…the Queen?" Caroline finished.

"Yep," Jeremy sighed. "She looks incredible."

"That she does, baby Gilbert. Are you going to tell her how you feel any time soon?"

Jeremy shrugged. "It's not right right now."

"Seriously? This is the first time we've had a breather in like… well it's been longer for you guys… so it's been like a year and a half?"

Jeremy raised his eyebrow and looked down at Caroline. "If I didn't know better, I would think you were a crazy person. And yeah, it's not good timing. She's still freaking about all of you guys, especially since you and Elena are fighting," he eyed her meaningfully, "and graduation is right around the corner. I don't want to overwhelm her."

"Wow, you really have grown up, Jer."

"Why is everyone so surprised? Man, it's enough to bring a guy down."

"Sorry, Jer," Caroline laughed. "You forget; the last thing I really remember of you is being really fascinated with certain _plant_. It's taking a bit of adjusting, to see how everyone has changed."

"Yeah, I saw you dancing with Damon earlier. How did that go?"

Immediately, Caroline's face clouded over. "I don't know what Elena and Bonnie are talking about, he's still a douche."

"Really? 'Cause I talked to him a little while earlier and he seemed pretty chill. Weirdly formal, but I figure that's going to be a hard habit to break. Invited me over to the house."

"Not you too," Caroline groaned. "He played all of us when he first came here, and now he's doing it again. I can't believe everyone is still falling for it."

"Yeah, but last time he had a game plan. He was trying to get Katherine out of the tomb, and he needed certain pieces. I'm not justifying any of it, Care, don't give me that look, but what reason would he have to mess with us? Stefan even offered to have them both leave town, and Elena told them no."

"What?" Caroline spat.

"Uh, whoops. That might have been a private thing. But I wouldn't worry so much, Care."

"Gee, thanks," she grumbled.

Laughing, Jeremy nudged her shoulder. "Come on, it's Prom! Your best friend was just crowned Queen! You should be happy."

"I'll be happy when I have a drink in my hand."

"That's for the after party."

"Where is that, by the way?"

Jeremy's eyes bugged out of his head. "You don't know? Geez, Care, I thought you ruled the school!"

"Yeah well you tend to forget some things when a year of your memories are wiped."

"Sorry, sorry. Umm, Dana Halpern's house. Her parents are on some work retreat or whatever."

"Ugh, gross."

Jeremy laughed at her again. "What, kicking her off the squad wasn't enough for you?"

"I did that?" Caroline grinned, her entire face animated.

"Yep, after she tried to lead a coup against you for missing so much practice. Banned for the rest of her high school career."

"Damn. I'm good," Caroline said smugly.

"And don't forget it!" Jeremy hopped up and grabbed her hand. "Come on, Miss Mystic, I know you've got a few more dances in you."

* * *

Bonnie's cheeks hurt, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling. Caroline had refused to let her take her crown off all night, and people had begun bowing and clapping every time she entered a room. It wasn't anything she had ever experienced before, and it felt pretty great.

The after party hadn't been as exciting as any one hoped (that's what they got for thinking Dana could plan anything fun, Caroline had complained), and it wasn't long before Damon and Stefan headed home. Elena and Jeremy followed soon thereafter, Jeremy unwilling to let his big sister make her own way home. It had just been Matt, Caroline, and herself slouched in booth at the Grill, giggling at nothing and unwilling to let the night end.

Finally, even Matt's coworkers were glaring at them to just leave already, and the three tottered their way outside. Any buzz they'd had from the alcohol had long since faded away, but they were as clichéd as any high school movie Bonnie had ever seen; drunk on life and happiness, and just being young and free.

She'd already forgotten the songs that were played and what the color scheme of Prom had been. But she would never forget how she felt in this moment.


	18. The Ugly Truth

**Disclaimer**: Don't own; don't sue.

**Spoilers**: All aired episodes, but nothing plot-wise from season 4. Qetsiyah is mentioned, as is her relationship to Bonnie, but that is all.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you to **Fenmir**, my wonderful beta.

Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and views, and most especially for the reviews.

As **Lovely Rain Dancer** was my 100th reviewer, you now have the option to request a prompt! You may request a small thing to be incorporated into this story (which may be quite difficult, as the story is completely outlined) OR you may send a longer prompt to be written as a one-shot/separate piece. My fandoms and pairings are on my profile page. Thank you!

* * *

CHAPTER 18: THE UGLY TRUTH

Elena smiled as she slid the picture into the frame. It had been taken moments before the last song at Prom, and though it was much more somber than the normal friend pile up, it was still a great picture. Damon and Stefan were standing near the back, barely cracking smiles and unused to photos that only took moments to take. Bonnie was holding tight to Jeremy's hand. Caroline had both arms wrapped around Bonnie with a huge grin. Matt and herself were leaning on each other and smiling in a way they hadn't in a while. She let her finger drift aimlessly over the spaces that should have held Vicki, Alaric, Tyler, and everyone else they had lost.

Gently, Elena placed the frame on her dresser. Her eyes passed over photos of her parents, always smiling broadly, Jeremy as a young child, his baby face already scrunched up in the scowl that he would make good use of as a teenager, and pictures from earlier in high school, when vampires were just a pop culture phenomenon. There was Caroline, Bonnie, and herself cheerleading at their first game. Her mom had taken that photo. Another was of her and Jenna, throwing Scrabble tiles at each other at family game night. And finally, her and Stefan.

She hadn't taken nearly as many pictures as when she and Matt were dating, but there were enough. Most of them were tucked in a shoebox under her bed, taken down during Stefan's Ripper phase when she couldn't bear to see his smiling face. Shortly after discovering he was a vampire, she had wanted to make sure he would show up in photos. Secretly, she was thinking of Christmas photos, like the ones her family had sent every year since her parents had gotten married. It was a tradition she had loved, and wanted to continue, but what if her boyfriend didn't have a reflection or couldn't be captured on film? Even in those early days, she could imagine the long stretches of years with Stefan. It took a little convincing on her part, but soon they had been taking dozens of photos, each with a sillier face than the last. It was the first time she'd laughed that hard since her parent's death. Stefan was always so patient with her need for photos, for something physical to remind her of the good times.

Ignoring the school books on her bed, Elena pulled out the shoebox, gingerly picking up the stack of photos inside. There were even a few of her and Damon, usually taken without their knowing. Most of them were taken by Caroline and handed to Elena with a sigh and a shrug. Despite Caroline's feelings towards Damon, she would still snap a photo whenever she thought people were having a moment they would want to remember.

As Elena flipped through the pictures, her finger caught on a torn edge. Carefully, she lifted the picture out. It was definitely a Caroline photo, taken sneakily but with great lighting. It was of her and Stefan, holding each other close and smiling, paying the camera no mind. It was just like so many others that were stuffed in the box, but Elena remembered why this one was torn. A lifetime ago, during that terrible summer, she had been slowly taking down all her old photos when Damon had walked in on her.

'Gonna burn them?' he had asked, with a smirk on his lips.

'No, just going to put them away until Stefan comes back.'

Damon had sighed. 'Elena, he's not coming back. When he goes through a Ripper phase… only Lexi could get him out of it. He doesn't want to come back, Elena. He's gone.'

'Then why are you helping me look for him?' she had shot back, but without the venom she normally had. She was too tired to fight.

Damon had walked over to her and tried to take the photos out of her hand. Maybe he wanted her full attention, or had something important to say. Elena hadn't had any patience. She had practically growled at him and yanked the photos back, almost tearing the photo on the top in half.

'He's still in there,' she had hissed. '_My_ Stefan is still in there. And we're going to get him back.'

Elena shook her head, not wanting to think of that time; the summer when she relied on Damon to get her through every moment of every day. She tried to tell herself it was in the past, that they had gotten Stefan back. Even though everything hadn't been perfect, it had gotten better.

_But now he's lost again, _she thought sadly to herself. She carefully flattened out the torn picture, and held it up to see where it would fit best in her room. Sighing, she dropped her hand. _No. Stefan's not lost. He's gone. Stefan is really gone this time. The Stefan from 1864 isn't _my_ Stefan. Not anymore._

Elena clenched her fist and started placing the photos back into the box.

So what? So what that her relationship, that everything they had gone through in nearly two years, was gone? Stefan no longer had the guilt and pain and fear that he had carried with him like a dead weight. He was free to do whatever he wanted. _And so am I_. Elena was free, to live and do all those things she had dreamed off before her parents died. She could write, travel, get married or stay single forever.

It was her choice.

* * *

Bonnie smiled as a soft breeze wafted across her cheek. Though most people felt that nature smelt like dirt and filth, to Bonnie it smelled like peace. Like power, but not the type that set her nerves on fire and made her heart race. The type of power that reassured her, made her confident in herself, that reminded her that she was important, essential. It made her mind think of her Grams, how she felt when she was wrapped up tight in her arms, nose tucked in a stuffy sweater. It was the most comforting smell she knew. She looked up and wasn't surprised to see her Grams sitting across from her, in a living room that Bonnie had grown up in, away from the hole her mother left and the distance her father preferred. It wasn't the first time she had dreamed of her Grams, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"Grams," she murmured, a smile on her lips.

"Not quite," her Grams said, eyes stern in a way Sheila had never been with Bonnie.

Bonnie swallowed her gasp and faintly felt her finger nails digging into her palm.

"Who are you? And what have you done to my Grams?"

"We are… the spirits, I believe you call us. We are the rulers of the Other Side, the ones who gave their lives to maintain the balance of nature. As far as this form… we simply thought it would be more comforting than our true image."

"It's not," Bonnie bit out.

"Shame," they replied, making no move to change or leave.

"Grams is…?"

"She is fine. As a Bennett, she is an essential part of those who rule the Other Side. As were those who came before her, and as you will be when you pass on. We do not harm those who rule beside us."

"I'm going to rule the Other Side?" Bonnie's skepticism trampled the fear that had lodged in her throat.

"Not alone," the spirits said sharply. "You will simply join the Union of witches that have that honor. Not all witches rule, but that is a privilege that has long been afforded to the Bennetts, from a time when your line was called the children of Qetsiyah."

"Qetsiyah?" The name felt foreign but powerful.

"It is a name that you will learn in time. You are young, and have much to learn." Grams' face wrinkled in distaste. "We hope that you have the time to learn it all."

"What do you mean by that?" Bonnie's throat was dry.

"We… do not understand those that you choose to keep company with."

"The vampires?" Bonnie guessed.

"There was a werewolf at one point, was there not? But yes," the spirits sighed. "You, more than many, have the most… unfortunate compatriots. They have led you astray, Bonnie Bennett."

Bonnie opened her mouth to protest, but couldn't find the words. She didn't regret a single thing she had done, magical or otherwise, for her friends but she knew in her heart that many of her actions went against the "proper" teachings of witchcraft. Too bad she'd never had a proper teacher.

"But we hope that that has changed, now that we have allowed you to… change them. Return them to their natural state, as it were."

Bonnie bit her tongue on the angry retort that threatened to burst from her lips. "Yes, thank you," she said demurely instead.

"You are not happy with the results."

It wasn't a question, but Bonnie heard the implication nonetheless.

"The spell… didn't work the way I thought it might," she conceded.

"How else might it work? We were terribly kind. If the spell had truly given their humanity back, they would have been dead before the hour finished striking."

"What?" Bonnie hissed.

"True humanity means death in your time. The four that you performed the spell upon… their times had come long ago." Her Grams looked her up and down and Bonnie felt her skin crawl. "You should be grateful we… modified things as such."

"Thank you," she spit.

There was a moment of silence, and Bonnie tried to breathe out her anger. No matter how powerful she was, the spirits were still more so.

"I have a question," she stated, making every attempt to sound polite.

"Speak, child."

"Are their minds truly wiped? Is there no way to return the memories they lost?"

Grams' eyebrow raised delicately. That was clearly not the question the spirits had been expecting. "Their minds hold no trace of the time where vampirism consumed them. But," the spirits paused, steepling their fingers in thought. "The memories themselves cannot be destroyed. They continue to exist."

"How can memories exist without a body?"

Grams stared at her. Bonnie felt like crawling in a hole. No matter how many times she told herself this was the spirits, not her actual Grams, they had that condescending glare _down_.

"Memories are all that remain when there is no body left," they said. "They fade and change and strengthen in time, but they can never be destroyed. Not truly."

"So the memories of my friends?"

"They exist."

"Can they be given back to them?"

"To do so would undo the spell, Miss Bennett."

"They would become vampires again?" Bonnie felt her heart breaking.

"No," the spirits said calmly. "They would die."

"_What_?"

"Those memories were not earned, they were taken. Taken using the blood of the innocent, to extend lives that should have long been extinguished. They cannot be freely given."

"But…?" Bonnie prompted. She was beginning to get a handle on the spirits, she thought.

The spirits shrugged. Bonnie tried to ignore how strange it looked on her Grams, who always kept her back and shoulders straight.

"If the human truly desires the memories, if they feel they have earned that right, they may have them back."

"How?" she pressed.

The spirits sighed and Bonnie knew they were getting frustrated with her. But she had to know. Could she give Caroline back the year she missed? Elena the few weeks of strange euphoric freedom from fear of death? Even Stefan and Damon, the hundred and fifty years of pain, but also friendships and love and places explored?

"They must prove themselves worthy."

"How?" she asked again, louder.

"It matters not," they spoke over her. "The life of a vampire is not something to be cherished or desired. To return those memories will, and should, mean death."

"No," Bonnie felt her hands shake with buried fury. She was so tired of being told what to do! "No, you're going to tell me how to give them their memories back. I took them and I didn't mean to, and they should get them back. Tell me. Tell me!"

Bonnie blinked in the sudden darkness. Fumbling around, she flicked on her lamp. She was in her room, alone.

"Damn it."

* * *

Stefan paused, the tip of his pen hovering over the page. The words did not flow as easily as he expected them to, but he made it a habit to write as least a few sentences every day. Often, he could not find the phrases to capture the new things he learned, but it was his emotions that gave him the most difficulties. At least when discussing a television or a combustion engine, he could scribble an approximate image to better get his point across. His emotions felt like a tangled ball of twine; every emotion he felt was so wrapped up with his memories (or lack thereof) that it felt impossible to tweeze out any specific feeling.

Giving up for the moment, he laid the pen down and carefully closed the diary. He scanned the room and wondered if he had finally run out of hiding places. Every day, he hid the diary in a new location. Although Damon would always be his beloved brother, he had a sneaky streak that extended for miles. Stefan was not interested in his prankster elder brother finding the deepest thoughts Stefan kept to his breast. Finding the room absent of any new nook or cranny, Stefan sighed and went in search of a guest room to tuck the book away.

He wandered for a while, drifting from room to room, finding each too obvious with its distinct collection of dust or lack of furniture. Not for the first time, he wondered if he was being incredibly silly, and not a little paranoid. But he vividly remembered the time when Damon had learned of his desperate affections for Margaret, the young daughter of the Mystic Falls sheriff in 1858 whose bright red curls outshone every other eleven year old in the town. Damon had quickly convinced him to give Margaret a lovely halo of wildflowers to adorn her head. Unfortunately, as Damon knew quite well but Stefan had no idea, she had been terribly allergic to a single species of flower that had been cleverly tucked into the halo. Poor Margaret had itched her head so much half her hair had fallen out. Margaret, and her father, had never forgiven Stefan, and Stefan had never forgotten the role Damon had played in the incident.

No, it was best that Damon not have access to the most embarrassing secrets of Stefan's heart.

Soundlessly, Stefan sat upon a bed in the room next to Damon's. Damon was out, probably for a walk in the woods or musing over buildings long since destroyed. He contemplated another writing attempt, but the bed was really quite uncomfortable. It was hard and uneven, and prodded at him through the duvet. Frustrated, Stefan tugged off the stifling blanket to see what state the mattress was in.

But there was no mattress. Well, perhaps there was, but Stefan could not see them under the layer of books that was spread neatly across the entire bed. All worn, most leather, and each wrapped and knotted with the same type of twine that was currently around the book in his hand.

They were his diaries.

He reached out a hand to touch them, and then dropped it before he could make contact. These diaries could be his saving grace. They could show him, through his own eyes, the things he had done, the people he had met. His own mind, laid bare before him.

But…

He had done terrible things. Elena had said so, and he had no reason to mistrust her. He had been brutal, a monster made only for death.

What would these pages tell him about that man? That creature?

Did he dare to find out?


	19. A Breath of Fresh Air

**Disclaimer**: Don't own; don't sue.

**Spoilers**: All aired episodes, but nothing explicit from Season 4.

**Author's Notes**: Eternal thanks to **Fenmir**, who always knows what to say.

Thank you always for the wonderful reviews, as well as the views, follows, and favorites.

I am having a lot of trouble with the upcoming chapter, so there may be a delay. My profile is usually up to date on when I will be posting (or hope to post) the next chapter, in case you get curious.

* * *

CHAPTER 19: A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Damon thought he was a reasonably educated person. He certainly didn't live with his nose in a book, as Stefan did, but he had had private tutors all his life, ensuring he knew English, Latin, and Italian (though he had leant only enough Latin to appease his tutors, and his Italian accent was atrocious), a bit of mathematics, and certainly the Bible cover to cover. What else was there?

According to Elena's high school, a great deal more.

In order for Elena to graduate, she had to complete or memorize the mountains of papers and books that laid strewn across their living room tables. She claimed her own household was too noisy, with Jeremy, Matt, and occasionally Caroline and Bonnie studying for similar exams. Damon felt that she was mostly humoring his brother, who was entirely enraptured with the studies Elena was bemoaning.

Damon had to admit, some of it was intriguing. The math was more letters than numbers, but the history simply included a few more years than his own education (and indeed, much less detail; Elena could hardly name all the _wars_ their country had endured, much less the important battles of each). The chemistry seemed ridiculously too complicated, but Elena blamed that on her "wretched Mr. Torrey".

School certainly had changed a lot in the past one hundred and fifty years.

As Stefan pored over Elena's scientific texts, Damon consoled himself by learning what he referred to as the "practical" arts.

He could now use the oven with ease, set an alarm clock without blinking, make toast and coffee in the mornings, and text using the "cellphone". Apparently there were a great deal more things he could do with small dark contraption, but it had a nasty habit of beeping, buzzing, or otherwise indicating its displeasure at him in frequent intervals, so he left it alone for the most part.

Just yesterday he had finally gotten record player to properly play the large discs that were scattered around the house. Music! With _words_! That he could play, and stop, and make louder and softer as he wished. He was hesitant to admit it, but the music capabilities of this world far outshone his own. He had always had a taste for a strong waltz, or powerful symphony, if the time allowed. But music had never been something to enjoy at one's leisure. His only experience was with the handful of players that performed at cotillions or galas, or the hymns sung every Sunday. He had heard a bit of this century's music, on the radios and the televisions, but most of it had been garish, too high pitched, words too muddled, all of the sounds blending. But this, these clear notes and loud voices, belting out about the pains of the heart and the pleasures of life, this was something he could listen to on and on.

Elena and Stefan had not quite appreciated his joy, as the record blasted throughout the household, echoing down the stairs and through every room. Elena had introduced him to the CD player and the YouTube (and the headphones, but he mostly ignored those), but his interest remained in the record player. There was a purity of sound that the other machines lacked.

Though he tried very hard to maintain his dignity, to avoid acting like a child at every new discovery, he couldn't help the pride that burst forth at each new skill he learned. There was no Katherine to impress or obey (though he missed her desperately), no father scowling over his shoulder, and even Stefan had been looking to Elena far more than Damon for all his needs and questions. He was free to do what he wanted, for the first time in his life.

Today he was going to do what he had wanted since the first day he awoke in this strange new world.

Today he was going to drive the car.

* * *

Elena took a deep breath, flipped over the flashcard, and rattled off the major reasons that led to the start of World War II. Cracking open one eye, she couldn't deny her relief when Stefan nodded that she had gotten it right. History was her worst subject (even worse than Chemistry, which was saying something), but thankfully someone who had lived through the "memorize and recite" era of teaching was great help with studying.

She knew Damon, based on the eyebrows maneuvers he had given her, and Caroline, Matt, Bonnie, and even Jeremy thought she chose to study with Stefan in order to re-kindle their romantic relationship. She didn't say anything to dissuade them of that notion, but really, she just wanted to graduate on time. And as much as she loved her best friends, they were ridiculously hard to study with. Jeremy was constantly flirting with Bonnie, Caroline had a million color coded flash cards, study sheets, and practice essay questions, Matt would get overwhelmed and give up every thirty minutes to play a video game, and Bonnie aced things so easily she almost didn't need to study at all. It was not her perfect study environment.

Meanwhile, the quiet, calm, mostly empty Salvatore house was just what she needed to cram in the last bits of information to get through her finals. In comfortable silence of the living room, she finally felt the stress of school beginning to fade behind the joy of graduating.

Then a thunderous crash shook the walls, knocking her glass of water off the table to shatter on the ground. But that was buried under the screeching and cacophonous noise that echoed in her head long after the sound had actually stopped.

* * *

Damon figured that driving would be fairly easy. He would have loved to break out the motorcycle hiding in the corner of the garage, but the beautiful blue Camaro called his name. The top was already down, and the paint shone, even in the darkness.

The seat felt like it was made for him, supple leather and as comfortable as a recliner. The steering wheel was smooth and the pedals depressed easily when he tested them out. He'd watched Elena drive her impossibly bulky SUV more than once, and it had seemed easy. He'd even done research, something he'd always disliked. He was grateful that his own vehicle was an automatic, instead of a manual transmission. He still didn't quite understand what those terms meant, but from what he read, a manual transmission would have been a great deal more difficult to operate.

Damon understood what each pedal was for. He understood how the mirrors were meant to help. He even had a fairly strong understanding of the shifting process and the purpose of different gears.

What he hadn't understood was what "zero to sixty in five seconds" really meant.

* * *

When Elena ripped open the door, all she could see was smoke. As she coughed her way through the cloud, Stefan at her heels, she realized it more dust than smoke, which was a good thing. It meant that there wasn't a fire that would consume the last physical connection the brothers had to their past. Only slightly assured that there wasn't an immediate danger to her and Stefan, she began to call out. Stefan was doing the same. It was difficult to see what exactly had happened.

Right as Elena was beginning to make out the shape of a badly damaged vehicle, she saw a tall dark figure appear, brushing off his clothes.

Damon spotted them before she could say a word, and waved at them sheepishly.

Elena didn't know what to do. Of all the stupid things Damon could have done, taking out the car unsupervised pretty much took the cake. She wanted to slap him, punch him, scream at him for being so idiotic. But her throat was still clogged with fear that she hadn't realized she should have felt. She hadn't even had the time to worry about him before he had popped out the driver's seat, completely fine, if a little embarrassed. That didn't stop her mind from racing through all the possibilities that could have happened.

While Elena was choking on her words, Stefan was eagerly inspecting the vehicle, and the damage it had done to the pillars at the entry-way. The stones, despite being over a century old, bore very little wear and tear. Even the sections that had collided with the car seemed pretty stable. He wasn't worried about his brother; Damon was hardy.

"What is wrong with you?" Elena finally screeched.

The small smile dropped off of Damon's face, and Stefan looked up in surprise from his inspection.

"You, you could have, and for what! And look at the car! Look at the house! Damon, what, what, I swear! What were you thinking?!" Elena still seemed incapable of forming full sentences.

"Excuse me?" Damon's voice had grown cold, and Elena immediately seemed to realize her mistake. The Damon she knew would let her rail at him, punches included, but this one, not so much.

"Miss Gilbert, need I remind you that this house, and this vehicle, are both my property?"

Elena sighed and began to deflate. "That's not what I meant. Damon, I just mean, you're not immortal any more, and you don't know what you're – "

"I knew exactly what I was doing," she held back her scoff at the obvious evidence to the contrary. "I merely made a simple misjudgment. Which is fairly typical of people learning to operate this type of machinery."

"Yes, Damon, I understand that, but if you wanted to learn how to drive, why didn't you ask me? I could have helped." Her voice had been growing steadily smaller, but she refused to be cowed when he had just put himself in grave danger.

"Could you have? You have seemed inordinately busy with your own life. You, who are responsible for my existence in this time. You, and Miss Forbes, and Miss Bennett, all of whom seem content to wreak havoc with no mind for the consequences of your actions."

Elena knew her face must look ridiculous, with her eyebrows at her hairline and her mouth hanging open, but she couldn't stop. Damon, talking about consequences, right after he had crashed his car?

Damon didn't wait for her to respond. He closed the door of the still smoking Camaro and stalked past them into the house. Shrugging, Stefan jogged after him.

Elena was still in shock. What had just happened?

* * *

"It is clear that Mystic Falls, and its occupants, fit me as ill as they did in 1864, dear brother."

"What do you mean?" Stefan didn't know what to do. The scene he had just witnessed, between his brother, Elena, and that car, had gone over his head. He didn't understand his brother's need to constantly push boundaries, but he didn't understand Elena's overwhelming concern over the both of them either. He didn't want to take a side, but he had sinking feeling he would have to soon enough.

Turning on his heel, Damon locked eyes with him. They had found themselves in Damon's bedroom, and Stefan felt uncomfortable at the sight of the large bed dominating the room.

"You did not see it then, and I am not surprised you do not see it now. After I returned from the Confederacy, I thought I had would relish the peace of Mystic Falls. I looked forward to having my brother on one side and Katherine on the other, even with the presence of Father." Damon shook his head rapidly. "But it was not so, Stefan. At first, I thought Mystic Falls had changed. But it had not. It was I. The war… it had opened my mind in many ways, and I no longer belonged where I once did."

Stefan opened his mouth to interject, but he had no idea what to say.

"If Katherine had not been there, I doubt I would have lasted long. People did not understand, Stefan. Just as they do not understand now."

"What are you talking about, Damon? What don't we understand? Damon, talk to me."

Damon was quiet for some time, before he walked towards the window.

"Me, Stefan. People do not understand me. I have many flaws, dear brother, do not deny it." Damon continued to stare out the window, his back to Stefan. Stefan yearned to see his brother's face, to determine where this strange line of thought was going. "Even you," he continued softly, before changing his tone abruptly. "I know you do not feel towards Katherine as you once did. And I am relieved. I am relieved to see you with Elena, and I can imagine much happiness for you here.

"But not for me. Not here, not with these people. Some still hold me responsible for acts I have yet to commit. Elena does not trust me, not even with my own life. Stefan," Damon pleaded, turning suddenly to face his brother. "I am going to find her. I am going to seek out Katherine, and I will return to her."

"Damon…" Stefan murmured. He knew Damon still loved Elena's doppelgänger, but he had hoped the joys of a new world and the truths of her motivations would temper that love. "She does not want us, my brother. She knows you live. She knows where you are. She has not sought us out. Do you not recall what Elena told us? Of how she betrayed us, time and again?" Stefan hated the words falling out of his mouth, but he had to convince Damon.

"No." Damon was firm. "Katherine was always much more clever, much more interesting than anyone else. Elena knows what she has done, but she has no idea how Katherine truly feels. Why she does what she does. I never felt towards anyone the way I feel about Katherine. My life is not complete without her.

"Stefan. You are my brother, my family. But you are not what I need right now. You cannot help me."

Damon turned back towards the window.

"Only Katherine can."


	20. The Finish Line

**Disclaimer**: Don't own; don't sue. See End Notes for certain sources (to post here would spoil it).

**Spoilers**: All aired episodes, but nothing explicit from Season 4.

**Author's Notes**: Thanks as usual to **Fenmir**, my absolutely phenomenal beta.

Apologies for the delay! I recently helped someone move, and now myself am moving across an ocean. Internet, and time to write, are both very difficult to come by. Thank you for your patience! If you are ever curious as to the status of the next chapter, please refer to my profile.

Thank you for the reviews, views, favorites, and follows! They are incredibly appreciated.

* * *

CHAPTER 20: THE FINISH LINE

"First off, I would like to congratulate all of you on making this far. We have worked hard to be here, and I'm proud to be standing here in front of you." Caroline swallowed and allowed herself a moment to breathe. She could go on with the speech everyone would expect from the bubbly, blonde salutatorian, or she could say the words that were burning the back of her throat. Refusing to make eye contact with anyone in the audience, she opened her mouth to continue.

"But as I look out on all of you, my fellow classmates, I see the holes in which our peers, our friends, once were. I see the spaces that they should be filling. So it seems incredibly appropriate that today, the happiest day of our high school careers, I should speak about death." Out of the corner of her eyes, she thought she saw Elena gasp and Bonnie's eyes widen, but she diligently kept her gaze completely straight.

"A great man once said, 'No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it'," Caroline blinked heavily and then went on, refusing to think about the people who _had_ escaped death, in a way. She knew Stefan and Damon were in the audience, both to support Elena and because sitting in the boarding house got boring quick, but if was incapable of looking at her friends, there was no way she could even glance at those two. "'And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.'" She felt like she should smile, to comfort those whose brows had furrowed in concern, but her lips would not form the proper shape.

"'Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.'"

Caroline swallowed and paused a moment. The silence echoed within her head, but she could see the end now. She'd never been more terrified of giving a speech in her life, but she'd never believed so fiercely in what she was saying, either.

"That man was Steve Jobs. He did great things in his life, and then he died. That seems like a short description of a wonderful man, but I believe in encompasses everything important. We are young. We will do great things. And then we will die.

"That is how it should be." Finally, she allowed her gaze to settle on her best friends. Elena's mouth was hanging slightly open, but she could see the proud joy in Bonnie's eyes. Caroline began to smile.

"Thank you very much."

Caroline walked away from the podium, eyes on her empty chair. The crowd was still silent, and her stomach was twisting and fluttering far worse than when she had walked up to give her speech. She knew it wasn't the speech that anyone expected from her, but when she stumbled upon that Jobs quote she couldn't stop thinking about it. Death had followed their class more than homework, strict teachers, or a losing football team. Death had shaped them into the people they were now.

Just as she reached her seat, she heard it. It sounded almost like a sudden rain shower, but it was the thunderous clapping of everyone present. Her head shot up and she twisted around to see the adults in the stands, eyes locking on her mom, who had tears streaming down her face and ruining the make-up Caroline had so carefully applied that morning.

She couldn't help the grin that filled her face. She didn't envy Willie Duncan, who had to give his valedictorian speech after that response.

Trying to get comfortable in the hard plastic chair, Caroline gently smoothed out the bright red gown and faced the stage once more. In a few short minutes, her name would be called, and she would be a high school graduate.

* * *

As Principal Rogers carefully enunciated the name of each graduate, Bonnie felt like she was in a state of shock. Although education was important to her, and she'd always been a good student, classes and homework and essays had all paled in comparison to the fight for her life, and her friend's lives. What she took notes on in Trig didn't help nearly as much as the spell to light a candle or call down a rain. And getting all A's wasn't nearly as important as making sure they never ran out of vervain or stakes.

But here they all were. Dressed up in that garish red color, tassels constantly floating in front of their faces, trying to smile for their parent's cameras and walk in a straight line at the same time. The normality was startling.

She loved it.

Sitting here, watching people collect their diplomas and shake Mayor Lockwood's hand, she could easily imagine four years into the future, sitting at a college graduation. Caroline and Elena would still be with her, of course. Maybe Matt and Jeremy would join them. Of course, first they all had to get into a college, since none of them had managed to balance SATs, ACTs, college applications, and school visits with all the supernatural issues, but this could be a gap year. They could go backpacking through Europe…

Startled, she felt an elbow in her back as the girl behind her gestured at the stage. Her name had been called. It was time for her to graduate.

* * *

Damon looked around, feeling vaguely unsettled surrounded by all the crying families. Although he always sounded like a crotchety old man when he said it, back in his time people kept their emotions very heavily veiled. Funerals were somber, but rarely were tears shed. Weddings were much the same. Of course, they'd never had events like graduations.

After he had made the decision to find Katherine and join her, wherever in the world she might be, a certain peace had settled over him. He had apologized to Elena and asked for official driving lessons, as well as other "practicality" lessons. Now that school was over, she would have time to teach him driving, how to use a credit card, how to book airlines and hotel plans via the internet, and the tricks of using a cellphone. He hadn't told her that he wanted to find her doppelgänger; he knew Elena well enough at this point that she would not be pleased. He planned on writing her a letter, thanking her for her help, before he left. The rest of his answers would come from Katherine. He knew better now; he knew she would try to gloss over the ways she had hurt him, but she would answer his questions, no matter if it was what he wanted to hear or not.

He would miss his brother, but communication was much easier now, and he knew Stefan was safe with Elena. He supposed he would even miss Elena, though he would not miss her constantly furrowed brow every time he did something that concerned her.

Dutifully following Stefan as they made their way through the throngs of people, Damon thought about the others he would be leaving behind. Miss Bennett had seemed an interesting character, much like her ancestor Emily, but with a sweeter disposition. As for the rest of them, they were the same stock Mystic Falls had always had; boring, boorish, and a little dull.

Of course, there was the firecracker that was Miss Caroline Forbes. Elena had told him time and again to stop referring to people with "miss" or "mister" but Miss Caroline seemed to be the type that demanded that sort of respect.

He had to admit, her speech had left him dumbstruck. He had been attempting to amuse himself by pairing the adults in the audience with the students below, trying to find that strange familial connection as well as the physical similarities, when her voice pierced his mind. He hadn't the foggiest idea who the man she was referencing was, but he applauded her choice of quotes. Based on the movies and television series Stefan had been watching, graduation speeches occasionally contained heartfelt confessions of love or deeply regretful apologies, and of course trite pieces of wisdom that had been clichéd a hundred and fifty years ago. He hadn't expected a moving, and honestly a bit frightening, take on life and death. It seemed that the impossible strong and determined girl he had danced with at Prom was also intelligent and wise. It was an observation he noted, but attempted not to dwell upon.

After all, he was leaving this town, and would most likely never see Miss Caroline ever again.

* * *

Matt batted at his tassel with frustration, attempting to see through the curtain of yellow string. He knew he was supposed to toss his cap into the air, but he had paid good money for the thing, and didn't want to lose it. Finally, the tassel settled itself on one side and he could actually attempt to find his friends.

Despite the sea of red, it was easy to pick them out. Caroline and Liz's bright blonde hair stood out easily, and Jeremy hadn't stopped growing, so he towered over his older sister. He tried to ignore how Stefan seemed actually hypnotized by Elena (with all they'd seen, you could never tell), while Damon's eyes seemed to have settled on Caroline, just a few steps away. That was a battle for another day, although he knew Caroline had a fierce no-Salvatore's policy right now, and her speech only helped enforce that.

Finally he saw Bonnie almost completely enveloped by her father. He knew they had a tumultuous relationship, and he was glad to see them happy together, especially since Bonnie's mom was nowhere to be found. He wasn't that surprised, to be honest.

He also wasn't surprised that his own mother was absent. Kelly had been gone so much of his childhood, her absence was only a dull ache in his heart. Honestly, he missed Vicki more than his mother. Vicki, who should have graduated a year before, who should be grinning in the stands with a beer in her purse as a present.

Pulling off his cap as the tassel flew around in the wind, he began to make his way out of the field towards his truck, an even worse replacement after his last one had gone off the bridge. He'd go to his tiny apartment (he'd been paying rent on it since he was fifteen, but it felt weird to stay there without Vicki and his mom), and give Elena and Jeremy their space.

Now that they were all human… He figured the girls were going to be off to college sooner rather than later. As much as Elena had stressed about finals, nobody had squeaked by as dangerously as he had. He knew he was lucky to be wearing this gown, to have walked across the stage. College wasn't an option for guys like him, broke, and stupid to boot. He'd only ever confided in Tyler about those fears; that's how they'd ended up playing nearly every varsity sport together. Tyler had the cash, but definitely not the brains, and they'd made a pact that they would hit the college circuit together. Football (or maybe even basketball, or track) scholarship, join the same fraternity, continue to be each other's bros in ways nobody had ever done for them.

But now Tyler was gone. After playing host to an Original douchebag, no wonder he was in no hurry to get back. And even if he did, why would he honor a promise to an old friend? Tyler was immortal now, probably running with a pack of his own. A new group to make promises with; promises that would actually be fun to keep.

Matt sighed, trying both to capture the joy from the families behind him and block it out of his mind.

Weirdly enough, the mindless cheering and happy chatter from the crowd sounded awfully like his own name.

"Matt! Matthew! Matthew Grant Donovan, I swear – "

And that sounded a lot like Caroline.

"Matt!"

And Elena.

"Dude!"

And Jeremy.

Confused but grinning despite it, Matt turned around and saw the shouters (Caroline, Elena, and Jeremy) all running towards him, with Bonnie at their heels looking distinctly more dignified (which was impressive, seeing as Caroline was in that group). Stefan and Damon were both following at a quick walk, as if they didn't want to get to Matt before his friends. Liz and Bonnie's dad were talking together, clearly having given up on their wayward children.

Still unsure as to what was going on, he was nearly bowled over by the three girls as they tackle hugged them.

"Matt, where were you going, we haven't taken any post-graduation pictures – "

"Jeremy and I were wondering if you wanted to catch a ride with us, or – "

"My dad and I are going to have dinner, but I was hoping to – "

"I understand this may not be the best of times, Matthew, but I had hoped – "

"Dude, when are you going to just move in with us already?"

Matt was having a hard enough time trying to figure out what everyone else was saying, but Jeremy's comment really threw him.

"Uhh, what?"

Elena elbowed her brother in the ribs, and everyone seemed to take a collective step back.

"What Jeremy was so eloquently offering, Matt, was why not move in with us? We have the space, and since it's my fault you're stuck with that… less than reliable truck, why not save money by moving out of your apartment? But we totally understand if you need your own space," Elena smiled.

This was one of those times where he desperately wished he had Caroline's constantly racing mind or Bonnie's ridiculously organized one.

"Take your time. We just thought, I don't know, since school was over, you were going to start working even more and we wouldn't get to see you as much."

"And we know that you're going to need all the help you can get to get into college with us," Caroline stated, then blushed. "Whoops, sorry, that came out kind of harsh."

Bonnie smiled softly, and held onto his arm. "We just don't want you to be alone."

Matt looked from person to person, still trying to make heads or tails of the situation. Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline all had these really great, sweet smiles on that had convinced him to do much crazier things. Jeremy was grinning too, arms crossed in front of him. Even Stefan and Damon looked fairly pleased, which was honestly the weirdest thing about this whole thing.

"Uhh, yeah, why not?" Matt shrugged.

"Yes!" Caroline shrieked, and hugged him tight, trapping Bonnie in between them while Elena hugged all of them as one.

"Your house is too far," Caroline whined in his ear.

Matt laughed. Yeah, he still missed Tyler, and Vicki, and his mom. But he sure as hell wasn't alone.

* * *

**End Notes:** Caroline's speech is taken from Steve Jobs's 2005 Stanford Commencement speech. The full video and transcript are available online (I am unable to link it here).

Other show-compliant information (Matt's middle initial is G.) is taken from the Vampire Diaries Wiki, which is my second most valuable source of information, after my wonderful beta.


	21. A Reflection Of Who I Used To Be

**Disclaimer**: Don't own; don't sue.

**Spoilers**: All aired episodes, but nothing explicit from Season 4.

**Author's Notes**: Thank you again to my wonderful beta, **Fenmir**.

**peachx89**, if you're still out there, there is a TINY _Supernatural_ reference in this one!

I am still in the process of moving and getting settled, so chapters will be slow from this point forward.

Thank you for the remarkable reviews, as well as the views, favorites, and follows. I really do cherish each and every one!

* * *

CHAPTER 21: A REFLECTION OF WHO I USED TO BE

Caroline wouldn't admit it, but she had cried when she had scoured her room for college acceptance letters that didn't exist. It was hard enough being unable to remember an entire year of her high school career, but she knew it wouldn't be the best time of her life; that was reserved for college. Graduation was great, but it was only a stepping stone to the future. She was leaving Mystic Falls and everything it stood for far behind.

But she didn't have anywhere to go. She went through every email on her computer and there was nothing. She hadn't even taken the SATs or the ACTs, which meant her stupid future self never even applied for college. She'd never even tried to make plans for the future. What kind of girl was this future Caroline, if she hadn't even bothered to get away from this stupid one trick town?

She knew that she could be shallow, and vain, and sometimes her priorities weren't quite what other people expected. (Her first question after Bill had left was "who's going to take me school clothes shopping?". Her mom had sighed and grabbed her keys and purse.) But she wasn't stupid. Make all the blonde jokes you want, Caroline Forbes had never failed a class, never even gotten below a B-, and she had always known she was going to college.

But now that was all gone. Or at least put on hold. Maybe her vampire self thought that she had all the time in the world? Must be nice, Caroline scoffed. Must be nice to imagine the future as open and free as inhumanly possible; to know that you'd be young and beautiful and strong forever. To know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you could do whatever you wanted, even if people tried to stop you. Caroline shivered. That type of power wasn't always a good thing, and even in the hands of good people could lead to bad things.

But still.

Must be nice.

* * *

Stefan tied the apron around his waist, fiddling with the straps nervously. He tried to catch Matt's (Matt, not Matthew, on punishment of an incredibly unhappy pout and a dramatic sigh) eye as he dropped off dishes, but Matt was focused on balancing the heavy plates. Jeremy wasn't even working today.

Holding the empty plastic container against his hip, Stefan walked to the nearest table that needed clearing. Matt had already explained what he needed to do, and it seemed simple enough, but once the Grill had started filling with people, Stefan could barely hear his own thudding heartbeat over the noise of the crowds. It wasn't nearly as full as he'd seen the restaurant, and he shuddered to think of how the place would look in a few short hours.

This job had sounded great in theory. It would get him out of the boarding house (something Elena was constantly pushing; she said she didn't want him to get "broody", whatever that meant) and would help cement his friendships with the other members of their group. Especially with Damon anxious to leave, Stefan knew he would need the support of Elena's friends. He had always relied on Damon for his companionship; Father had strict rules against consorting with the children of the town families, even the Founding families were often looked down upon for being "new" money. As a child, Stefan hadn't minded. Damon was creative and interesting, and seemed much wiser than any of the other children. Even when Katherine had blown into their lives, Stefan had never stopped to imagine a life without his big brother.

So. The job. He had approached Matthew after the graduation ceremony, asking if he would extend him the courtesy of speaking to his employers. Matthew had seemed confused at first, but Stefan was learning that that seemed to be Matt's default facial expression. He had patted Stefan on the shoulder, muttered "yeah, man" and then wandered off. Stefan had felt a bit nervous about his request, but two days later Matt had called him on the portable telephone that Elena made him carry around everywhere and asked him to come in to the Grill. A quick interview later, and Stefan was now a bus boy.

Having filled his container with dirty dishes, stacking them the way Matt had instructed, Stefan carefully hefted it up, wary of the weight. So focused on keeping his hold on the container, he failed to see the group of teenagers passing behind him as he turned.

So naturally, when he collided with the petite girl attempting to pass him, a large glop of steak sauce, mashed potatoes, and ketchup slid off the topmost plate and fell directly onto her chest.

Eyes as round as saucers, fear clogging his throat, Stefan desperately tried to apologize while balancing the large container on one hip as he attempted to brush off the mess with his dish rag.

"Ew, gross, just stop!"

The girl most definitely did not appreciate the damp, lemon-scented cloth so close to her body.

Blushing furiously, Stefan wanted nothing more than to drop the dishes on the floor and make a run for it. Barely ten minutes into his first job, and he'd already made such a mess of it.

"Umm, I'm really sorry."

"Ugh, whatever, thank god you didn't mess up this top, it's brand – oh. Oh, it's _you_, Stefan. I didn't know you worked here." The girl had stopped her frantic wiping and was now staring at him with an interesting glint in her eyes. Stefan couldn't quite place it, but he was pretty sure he'd only seen in on Katherine before.

"Um. Just started, actually. Today." Was he supposed to know this person? He couldn't recall ever seeing her before in his life, but that meant nothing.

"Oh, of course. Well I totally understand about the mess then," she grinned brightly.

"Sorry," he muttered again, staring at the red tint the ketchup had left on her skin, and blushing all over again when he realized just what part of her body it was on. He was quite used to the fashion of this age, but to think that his hand had been so close to brushing that part of her!

"You know, usually if the restaurant messes something up, the customer gets something for free," she grinned at him. She had a nice smile, but Stefan was a little unnerved by all the teeth she was showing.

"Oh. Oh, I don't know about those rules. I mean, I just started, but I can grab a manager – "

"Oh, that's so not necessary," she laid a hand on his arm, and he had to stop himself from jerking back and dropping the container that was feeling more and more like dead weight in his arms.

"O – oh?" he stuttered.

She grinned again, and Stefan faintly felt her nails digging into his arm. "I mean really, this kind of mess deserves an entire free meal."

"I, I really don't know – "

"So I think that _you_ owe me a dinner!"

"Err, I – "

"Oh, don't be so shy, Stefan! I know you and Elena broke up ages ago, and really, not seeing your handsome face around school has been absolutely dreadful these past few months."

"Is, is this still about – "

"So, this Friday, let's say about seven? We should probably exchange phone – "

"What's going on here?"

Stefan blew out his breath in relief and wrenched his arm out of the girl's grasp, rapidly shuffling behind Matt.

"Stefan?"

Stefan was too busy hiding to answer.

"Dana?" Matt's tone had gotten determinedly darker.

Dana had left her arm floating in the air when Stefan had moved. It had curled into a claw, but that was nothing compared to the glittering stones that were her eyes.

"Nothing to concern your teeny little mind about, Matt Donovan."

"Seriously, Dana? What the hell were you doing to Stefan?"

"Nothing, yet," she smirked at Stefan. He gulped.

"Dana…" Matt warned.

"Ugh, fine. If you must know, Stefan and I were setting up a date for this Friday!"

"_What_?"

"Don't look so shocked, Donovan. Some people are actually capable of moving beyond Elena Gilbert."

Matt scoffed. "Stefan, is this true? You want to go out with Dana?"

Unable to form a coherent sentence, Stefan shook his head rapidly.

"Looks like just another one of your delusions, Dana," Matt grinned to soften his words.

"Ugh, whatever. Like I was really going to date a high school drop out." Dana spun on her heel and flipped her hair, unwittingly flicking a piece of mashed potato to the top of her head.

"Man, how do you get yourself into these situations?" Matt laughed as he turned around to face a shell-shocked Stefan.

"I don't, I mean, I just, I spilled some food on her, and – "

"Chill, man, Dana comes on pretty strong. She actually models herself after Caroline, but don't you dare tell her that."

"Caroline?"

"Yeah. I know you don't remember it, but Caroline hit on you when you first got here. You turned her down, she ended up with Damon, and the rest is kind of history, you know."

Stefan blinked. "Oh."

Matt cocked his head. "I thought you knew all that."

"Yes, I did," he said slowly. "But… I hadn't realized the pain my brother and I had caused from the moment we arrived."

"Aw, man, don't think of it that way. Look, I don't like what you guys have done, especially Damon. And I'm not going to say none of it was your fault, 'cause dude, some of it totally was. But it's in the past, you know? You can't keep beating yourself up about it."

"Does Caroline… has she forgiven our deeds?"

"For you? Hell yeah. You guys got pretty close. You helped her with her vampirism," Matt muttered the word, "and you hung out a lot." Matt shrugged. "So don't even worry about it."

"What about Damon?"

"What _about_ Damon?" Matt scratched at his nose.

"Has she forgiven him?"

"Whoa, man. That's not for me to say. That's all on Caroline." Stefan dropped his head and shifted the dishes from one hand to another. Sighing, Matt continued. "That's a conversation between them, okay? You're not his keeper. And… look, Caroline has a big heart. As big as Elena, even if people don't always see that."

Stefan paused. "Thank you, Matthew. I value that more than I can express."

Matt groaned and ran a hand over his hair. "Aww, man, we talked about that whole "Matthew" thing. Hey, how about you take those dishes back and see if they need another dishwasher. I don't think Dana is quite done with her crusade."

Stefan smiled, a faint blush on his cheeks. "Thank you, Matt."

"Yeah, yeah, no problem," he muttered as he moved away. "Get going, before we both get fired for standing around."

* * *

Damon had rarely entertained jealousy before. He was intelligent, strong, beautiful, wealthy, and had whatever else people desired. Yes, his mother died when he was still young, and his father had no affection for him, but he had never bothered being envious of more "complete" families. He had Stefan, who hung upon his every word. Katherine, whose beauty and mind far outshone anyone else's.

And yet.

No matter what searches he sent out, no matter what name he used, he could not find a single whiff of his beloved Katherine (his mind refused to connect her with the elusive Katerina, although he was eager to know that part of her).

How could his future self have spent over a hundred and fifty years working towards her return? How had he waited, unable to hold her, alone while the world changed about him?

How did he not go mad with impatience?

Damon did not have the answer.

Admittedly, his skills using the internet (which had nothing to do with actual webbing, or tubes, or cats in tubes, as he had originally thought) were limited. But his future self had developed his own connections with various magical beings across the world, and most, while not exactly willing to help, were easily convinced with vague allusions to knowledge he no longer had. He was not a blackmailer by trade, but whatever worked, he supposed. He had exhausted every network his email and cellphone had. Scores of witches, vampires, and at least one empath were supposedly seeking his love.

And yet not a single word of her location.

Doing his best not to give in to his despair (which felt incredibly like frustration, but he refused to accept that), he went through the monotonous process of checking his email.

First, immediate deletion of all the spam that made its way through his filters.

Then, he sorted the other pieces of information that he knew weren't pressing, such as the interest on his multiple bank accounts (who could spend that much money?), and various newsletters (Singer's Scrap Heap always let him know when a classic car that might interest him was available), and notices from antique houses (he didn't think he would ever understand his future self's obsession with Persian rugs).

Finally, all that was left were the possible leads.

Two emails from witches saying their locator spells were useless. Yeah, big shock there. The first thirteen locator spells hadn't worked, why would these?

An email from the empath, whose emails were always labeled by a different state. This time it was "Missouri". She, or he (he honestly had no clue), didn't have any leads on Katherine, but they knew of an amulet that might help him find her. Some sort of gold figure that pointed in the direction of the thing he wanted most. It sounded like way too much work, if you asked him, but then again… nothing was too much for his Katherine, right? He saved that message for future study.

Then all that was left were three emails from unknown senders.

The first was a genital-enlargement advertisement that disgusted, but intrigued him as well. This century was so strange, with its conflicted obsession and fear of things of a sexual nature.

The second was mindless gibberish. For a moment, he hoped that it was a code that he and Katherine had developed, but that hope quickly died. There was no mention of such a code in any of his books or files. If it was a code, it was one he could not decipher. Irritated, he squinted at the curious squiggles, as if he could force them to force words, when the entire screen went black.

Damon jerked his head back, at first thinking that his vision had blacked out due to his over-concentration.

But no, the computer had definitely shut off and was slowly coming back up. The background appeared, then each icon, and finally the email system. Beyond irritated, he pulled out his notebook to draw an approximation of the amulet the empath had described. When he glanced up, he dropped his notebook on the floor with a thud.

The last remaining email was open, and despite the plain type set, he knew from the first few words who it was from.

'_My darling Damon,_

_A little bird happened to mention that you were looking for me._

_You should know, I cannot be found that easily. But I'm flattered that you're trying so hard._

_You clearly have questions. As do I. Meet me on Belle Isle in two days at sunrise._

_Come alone._

_Katherine'_

Damon swallowed hard. His hand hovered over the mouse, unsure what exactly he wanted to do. Before he could act, the screen blacked out again. He threw the mouse down in frustration, ignoring how it hung by the cord pathetically.

Just as before, the screen slowly came back to life. Desperately, he clicked insistently on the email icon, hoping to force it to open faster. Seconds later, though it certainly felt longer, his inbox opened.

But the email from Katherine was gone. As was the one filled with gibberish.

Well.

It looked like he would have to be patient for only little while longer.


End file.
